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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 120 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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: calf · clip · ruler · wax · hide · bound · land · pit

  1. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  24. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. bound — certain
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. pit — a hole
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. clip — a video
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. bound — tied together
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. wax — to grow
  17. bound — obliged
  18. pit — in a race
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. land — ground
  22. land — to come down
  23. clip — for paper
  24. clip — to cut

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