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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 116 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. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. march — music
  6. lean — to bend
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. file — a document
  9. field — for sport
  10. march — the month
  11. file — a tool
  12. march — the month
  13. lean — thin
  14. mark — a grade
  15. field — a subject
  16. mark — a trace
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. file — a line of people
  19. race — the arms race
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. race — humankind
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. field — farmland

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