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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. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. can — a tin
  4. saw — the tool
  5. last — to go on
  6. last — final
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. saw — the tool
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. race — humankind
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. can — a tin
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. can — to be able to
  16. race — the arms race
  17. race — a contest
  18. lean — to bend
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. last — finally
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. lean — to rest against

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