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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 116 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. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. mug — a cup
  6. bound — certain
  7. firm — decided
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. firm — a company
  10. land — to come down
  11. mine — for digging
  12. bound — tied together
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. land — a country
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. bound — obliged
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. mug — to rob
  21. sharp — clever
  22. mug — a face
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. firm — steady

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