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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 124 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. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. bound — certain
  3. bat — the animal
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. mark — a trace
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. bound — tied together
  11. land — to come down
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. wake — a trail
  14. pop — soda
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. bound — obliged
  17. land — ground
  18. pop — to visit
  19. mark — a grade
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. pop — music
  24. mark — to pay attention

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