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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. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. race — the arms race
  7. branch — a division
  8. shower — to wash
  9. shower — rain
  10. race — a contest
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. bore — to drill
  13. rash — hasty
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. court — of law
  16. court — for sport
  17. bore — to tire
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. rash — a series
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. court — of a king

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