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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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468
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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. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  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. kick — with a leg
  2. bear — the animal
  3. race — the arms race
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. capital — a city
  6. bark — to shout
  7. bear — the animal
  8. rash — hasty
  9. mark — a trace
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. kick — in football
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. capital — money
  16. vault — a safe
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. rash — a series
  19. mark — a grade
  20. race — a contest
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  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