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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. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. land — to come down
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. kick — in football
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. firm — steady
  10. toast — bread
  11. prune — to trim
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. season — of the year
  14. land — a country
  15. firm — a company
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. prune — to trim
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. dip — to sink
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. firm — decided
  24. season — in sport

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