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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. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. drill — the tool
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. race — a contest
  5. chest — of your body
  6. wound — an injury
  7. race — humankind
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. chest — of your body
  11. drill — a practice
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. foot — a measure
  14. charge — in control
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. charge — electricity
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. chest — a box
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. wound — an injury
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. charge — a price
  24. race — the arms race

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