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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 did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. bear — the animal
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. mug — a face
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. mug — a cup
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. race — the arms race
  10. field — farmland
  11. mug — to rob
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. race — a contest
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. field — a subject
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. fork — in a road
  19. toast — bread
  20. race — humankind
  21. sharp — clever
  22. field — for sport
  23. bear — the animal
  24. sharp — exactly

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