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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. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. pit — in a race
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. race — the arms race
  5. last — finally
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. rest — what's left
  8. race — humankind
  9. rest — what's left
  10. race — a contest
  11. net — after costs
  12. rest — a break
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. net — in sport
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. last — to go on
  18. last — final
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. pit — a hole
  21. net — for catching
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. calf — a young animal
  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