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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. When are we going to ________________?
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. land — a country
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. fall — to drop
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. fall — to drop
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. fall — the season
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. spell — magic
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. spell — letters
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. squash — the sport
  20. squash — to crush
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. land — ground
  23. spell — a short time
  24. hide — to keep secret

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