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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. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. row — to paddle
  4. bound — tied together
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. race — a contest
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. last — final
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. race — humankind
  12. row — a line
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. last — finally
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. rule — government
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. race — the arms race
  21. rule — a law
  22. bound — obliged
  23. bound — certain
  24. last — to go on

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