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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. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. bound — certain
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. race — humankind
  7. race — the arms race
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. land — ground
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. land — to come down
  12. pound — a weight
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. land — a country
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. bound — tied together
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. race — a contest
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. calf — a young 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