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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. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  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. sharp — clever
  2. land — ground
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. shower — rain
  8. prune — to trim
  9. shower — to wash
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. prune — to trim
  13. face — part of the head
  14. land — to come down
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. land — a country
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. face — to point toward
  19. fork — in a road
  20. firm — a company
  21. firm — decided
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. face — to confront
  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