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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. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. march — music
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. fine — high quality
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. saw — the tool
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. land — ground
  9. bear — the animal
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. land — to come down
  12. bear — the animal
  13. hand — in cards
  14. hand — help
  15. march — the month
  16. march — the month
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. mark — a grade
  19. mark — a trace
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. saw — the tool
  22. land — a country
  23. fine — all right
  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