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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. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. race — the arms race
  3. can — a tin
  4. ground — crushed
  5. can — a tin
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. board — to get on
  8. race — a contest
  9. board — a committee
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. bore — to drill
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. bat — the animal
  18. ground — a position
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. can — to be able to
  22. race — humankind
  23. ground — the earth
  24. bore — to tire

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