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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. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  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. pound — for dogs
  2. shower — rain
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. pound — a weight
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. race — humankind
  7. shower — to wash
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. race — a contest
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. vault — a safe
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. capital — money
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. dip — to sink
  23. capital — a city
  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