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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. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. stand — to bear
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. bound — tied together
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. race — a contest
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. sharp — clever
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. spell — letters
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. race — humankind
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. race — the arms race
  20. spell — magic
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. bound — obliged
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. bound — certain

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