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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. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. land — to come down
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. pass — a permit
  6. present — a gift
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. present — there
  12. land — a country
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. present — the time now
  16. saw — the tool
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. land — ground
  19. shower — to wash
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. shower — rain

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