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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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. tear — from crying
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. present — there
  7. fork — in a road
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. present — a gift
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. race — a contest
  16. wake — a trail
  17. race — the arms race
  18. race — humankind
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. present — the time now
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. tear — to rip
  24. tear — from crying

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