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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. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. degree — from a university
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. race — humankind
  7. craft — a skill
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. spell — magic
  10. craft — boats
  11. race — a contest
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. spell — letters
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. present — the time now
  17. degree — an amount
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. race — the arms race
  21. present — there
  22. degree — temperature
  23. spell — a short time
  24. present — a gift

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