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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. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. bound — certain
  4. season — in sport
  5. mine — for digging
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. race — humankind
  9. bound — tied together
  10. race — the arms race
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. rash — a series
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. rash — hasty
  17. fine — high quality
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. bound — obliged
  20. season — of the year
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. fine — all right
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. calf — of the leg

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