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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. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. file — a tool
  3. kick — in football
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. chest — a box
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. present — the time now
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. file — a line of people
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. file — a document
  13. land — ground
  14. land — to come down
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. chest — of your body
  17. bank — for money
  18. bank — of a river
  19. present — a gift
  20. chest — of your body
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. bank — for money
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. land — a country

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