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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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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: firm · bay · calf · land · mine · present · cabinet · staff

  1. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. land — to come down
  3. staff — employees
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. present — the time now
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. present — there
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. firm — steady
  11. staff — a stick
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. mine — for digging
  15. present — a gift
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. staff — employees
  19. land — a country
  20. firm — decided
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. firm — a company
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. land — ground

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