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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 120 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. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. bank — for money
  3. race — humankind
  4. bank — for money
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. race — the arms race
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. degree — an amount
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. rock — music
  12. race — a contest
  13. bank — of a river
  14. degree — temperature
  15. degree — from a university
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. rock — a stone
  21. sharp — clever
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. sharp — exactly

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