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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. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. The water is too ________________.
  14. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. dip — to sink
  3. race — humankind
  4. race — the arms race
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. race — a contest
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. firm — steady
  11. firm — a company
  12. game — wild animals
  13. cold — not warm
  14. cold — the Cold War
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. cold — an illness
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. firm — decided
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. game — a match
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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