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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. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. race — humankind
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. object — to protest
  6. race — the arms race
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. object — an aim
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. object — a thing
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. branch — a division
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. stand — to bear
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. mine — for digging
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. race — a contest

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