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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. The ________________ took off on time.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. rule — government
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. race — humankind
  7. shower — rain
  8. file — a line of people
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. file — a document
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. plane — a tool
  15. dip — to sink
  16. fine — high quality
  17. file — a tool
  18. fine — all right
  19. rule — a law
  20. shower — to wash
  21. race — the arms race
  22. race — a contest
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. calf — a young animal

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