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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 116 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 protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. race — the arms race
  4. row — a line
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. ball — a dance
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. race — a contest
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. race — humankind
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. saw — the tool
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. saw — the tool
  22. ball — a great time
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. row — to paddle

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