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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 116 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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  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. suit — in cards
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. suit — clothes
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. drill — the tool
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. dip — to sink
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. drill — a practice
  11. game — wild animals
  12. race — a contest
  13. wound — an injury
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. wound — an injury
  16. fall — to drop
  17. suit — to fit
  18. race — the arms race
  19. game — a match
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. fall — the season
  22. drill — army training
  23. fall — to drop
  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