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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. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. mate — a partner
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. squash — to crush
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. mate — to breed
  10. wound — an injury
  11. land — to come down
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. foot — a measure
  16. prune — to trim
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. squash — the sport
  19. mate — a friend
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. prune — to trim
  22. land — ground
  23. wound — an injury
  24. arm — part of the body

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