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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 train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. race — a contest
  3. can — a tin
  4. can — a tin
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. clip — to cut
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. object — a thing
  9. can — to be able to
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. spring — the season
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. object — an aim
  14. spring — a coil
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. race — humankind
  17. clip — a video
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. object — to protest
  20. spring — of water
  21. race — the arms race
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. clip — for paper
  24. leaves — lets stay

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