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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's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. race — a contest
  5. foot — a measure
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. race — humankind
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. race — the arms race
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. band — a ring
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. bore — to tire
  22. bore — to drill
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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