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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 120 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 had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  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. drill — a practice
  2. cap — a lid
  3. race — a contest
  4. capital — a city
  5. cap — a hat
  6. mark — a grade
  7. mark — a trace
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. drill — the tool
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. race — humankind
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. capital — money
  18. drill — army training
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. kick — in football
  21. cap — of ice
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. calf — of the leg
  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