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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. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. suit — clothes
  3. suit — to fit
  4. bear — the animal
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. swing — to play on
  7. rule — government
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. land — ground
  10. bear — the animal
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. rule — a law
  13. suit — in cards
  14. land — to come down
  15. face — to confront
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. swing — in golf
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. face — to point toward
  20. swing — music
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. content — the amount
  23. face — part of the head
  24. content — happy

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