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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. bank — for money
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. land — ground
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. scale — size or range
  11. mate — a partner
  12. bank — for money
  13. bank — of a river
  14. land — to come down
  15. land — a country
  16. scale — in music
  17. degree — temperature
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. mate — a friend
  20. mate — to breed
  21. mine — for digging
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. degree — from a university
  24. degree — an amount

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com