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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 120 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. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. race — a contest
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. deal — to handle
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. pitch — completely
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. race — humankind
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. land — ground
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. land — to come down
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. race — the arms race
  21. lie — to recline
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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