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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. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. rash — a series
  3. race — a contest
  4. board — to get on
  5. game — wild animals
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. board — a committee
  13. wound — an injury
  14. wound — an injury
  15. ground — crushed
  16. ground — the earth
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. sharp — clever
  19. race — humankind
  20. race — the arms race
  21. rash — hasty
  22. ground — a position
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. game — a match

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