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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. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. tear — from crying
  4. mate — a friend
  5. plane — a tool
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. tear — to rip
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. mate — a partner
  10. firm — decided
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. tear — from crying
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. race — a contest
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. bear — the animal
  20. bear — the animal
  21. firm — steady
  22. race — the arms race
  23. firm — a company
  24. race — humankind

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