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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. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. club — for dancing
  3. mug — to rob
  4. drill — army training
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. stand — to bear
  8. net — after costs
  9. drill — the tool
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. net — for catching
  12. club — a group
  13. race — a contest
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. drill — a practice
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. club — for golf
  19. mug — a face
  20. race — the arms race
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. mug — a cup
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. race — humankind

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