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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. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. key — in music
  5. race — a contest
  6. file — a tool
  7. file — a document
  8. cell — in biology
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. key — for a lock
  11. fine — high quality
  12. key — the most important part
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. file — a line of people
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. cell — a phone
  19. plane — a tool
  20. fine — all right
  21. race — humankind
  22. race — the arms race
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. plane — an aircraft

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