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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 protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. race — a contest
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. board — a committee
  6. root — the cause
  7. root — of a plant
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. race — humankind
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. bat — the animal
  14. board — to get on
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. root — of a word
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. race — the arms race
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. bat — in an idiom
  24. board — a flat piece

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