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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. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. can — a tin
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. sharp — clever
  6. track — a path
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. race — humankind
  9. track — to keep track
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. land — to come down
  12. race — a contest
  13. track — a song
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. land — a country
  17. land — ground
  18. can — to be able to
  19. squash — to crush
  20. squash — the sport
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. can — a tin
  24. wave — of the sea

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