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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. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. land — to come down
  3. can — a tin
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. lean — thin
  6. game — wild animals
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. lean — to bend
  9. vault — a safe
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. land — ground
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. can — a tin
  17. can — to be able to
  18. land — a country
  19. mine — for digging
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. game — a match
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. calf — a young animal

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