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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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. mine — for digging
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. object — a thing
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. field — a subject
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. field — farmland
  13. land — a country
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. bound — tied together
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. object — an aim
  18. bound — obliged
  19. land — ground
  20. bound — certain
  21. object — to protest
  22. land — to come down
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. field — for sport

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