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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. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. land — to come down
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. land — a country
  10. land — ground
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. bat — the animal
  13. net — after costs
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. net — in sport
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. net — for catching
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. mine — for digging

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