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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 giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. Have you settled on a ________________?
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. race — humankind
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. race — the arms race
  7. rush — hurry
  8. squash — to crush
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. band — a ring
  15. race — a contest
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. squash — the sport
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. band — a music group
  22. pass — a permit
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. date — the fruit

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