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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 did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. We're on a ________________ here.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. scale — size or range
  3. scale — in music
  4. roll — a list
  5. race — a contest
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. wound — an injury
  10. race — humankind
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. roll — on a roll
  13. foot — a measure
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. snap — to click
  18. wound — an injury
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. race — the arms race
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. roll — a cake
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. calf — a young animal

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