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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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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 met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. bank — for money
  4. plane — a tool
  5. race — the arms race
  6. race — humankind
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. rock — music
  9. mine — for digging
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. race — a contest
  13. bank — of a river
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. rock — a stone
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. bank — for money
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. rock — to move gently

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