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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 ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. race — a contest
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. bat — the animal
  5. snap — to click
  6. lie — to recline
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. drill — the tool
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. ball — a great time
  12. ball — a dance
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. drill — a practice
  15. race — the arms race
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. charge — electricity
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. charge — a price
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. charge — in control
  22. drill — army training
  23. race — humankind
  24. calf — a young animal

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