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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. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. mate — to breed
  3. race — a contest
  4. mate — a partner
  5. wake — a trail
  6. court — of a king
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. fall — to drop
  9. court — for sport
  10. court — of law
  11. staff — employees
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. race — humankind
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. race — the arms race
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. staff — a stick
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. mate — a friend
  22. fall — the season
  23. fall — to drop
  24. staff — employees

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