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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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. march — music
  4. land — a country
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. deal — to handle
  8. shower — to wash
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. bore — to tire
  11. bore — to drill
  12. march — the month
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. shower — rain
  15. march — the month
  16. firm — decided
  17. land — to come down
  18. firm — steady
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. bulb — for light
  21. land — ground
  22. bulb — for light
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. firm — a company

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