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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 soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. race — the arms race
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. race — a contest
  12. drill — a practice
  13. plane — a tool
  14. drill — the tool
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. race — humankind
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. sharp — clever
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. calf — of the leg

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