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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 had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. saw — the tool
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. scale — in music
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. fall — the season
  7. saw — the tool
  8. ground — crushed
  9. mate — to breed
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. fall — to drop
  13. land — to come down
  14. ground — a position
  15. fall — to drop
  16. mate — a partner
  17. land — ground
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. scale — size or range
  20. land — a country
  21. ground — the earth
  22. mate — a friend
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. cabinet — ministers

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