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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. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. can — a tin
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. squash — to crush
  7. plane — a tool
  8. firm — a company
  9. clip — to cut
  10. firm — steady
  11. race — the arms race
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. squash — the sport
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. clip — a video
  17. clip — for paper
  18. can — to be able to
  19. race — a contest
  20. race — humankind
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. firm — decided
  24. can — a tin

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