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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. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. race — humankind
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. row — a line
  5. field — a subject
  6. can — a tin
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. race — the arms race
  9. row — to paddle
  10. lean — thin
  11. can — to be able to
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. lean — to bend
  14. can — a tin
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. vault — a safe
  18. field — for sport
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. field — farmland
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. race — a contest
  24. bat — the animal

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