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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. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. spring — a coil
  3. mug — a face
  4. object — a thing
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. mine — for digging
  8. cue — a hint
  9. object — to protest
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. pass — a permit
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. race — the arms race
  14. mug — to rob
  15. object — an aim
  16. spring — the season
  17. cue — a signal
  18. mug — a cup
  19. race — a contest
  20. cue — for pool
  21. race — humankind
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. spring — of water

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