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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. False peace will not ________________.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  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. last — to go on
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. chip — to eat
  4. race — a contest
  5. last — final
  6. race — humankind
  7. race — the arms race
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. last — finally
  11. bore — to tire
  12. saw — the tool
  13. bank — for money
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. bank — for money
  20. bore — to drill
  21. saw — the tool
  22. bank — of a river
  23. chip — for betting
  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