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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 giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. race — a contest
  3. fall — the season
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. fall — to drop
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. race — humankind
  9. pop — to visit
  10. bear — the animal
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. bear — the animal
  13. pop — music
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. pop — soda
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. fall — to drop
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. race — the arms race

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