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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. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. cap — a lid
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. stock — shares
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. bank — of a river
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. bank — for money
  16. stock — goods
  17. cap — a hat
  18. chair — a leader
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. bank — for money
  22. race — a contest
  23. race — humankind
  24. cap — of ice

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