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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 giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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. clip — to cut
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. stand — to bear
  7. staff — employees
  8. club — a group
  9. club — for dancing
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. staff — a stick
  12. clip — a video
  13. race — humankind
  14. club — for golf
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. clip — for paper
  17. race — a contest
  18. root — of a word
  19. root — the cause
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. staff — employees
  23. root — of a plant
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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