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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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. land — ground
  3. current — electric
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. land — a country
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. net — in sport
  10. net — for catching
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. land — to come down
  16. current — of water
  17. vault — a safe
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. deal — to handle
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. current — happening now
  22. net — after costs
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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