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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. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. suit — clothes
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. tear — from crying
  6. race — a contest
  7. wake — a trail
  8. tear — to rip
  9. suit — to fit
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. present — the time now
  12. tear — from crying
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. race — humankind
  15. race — the arms race
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. shower — to wash
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. present — there
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. shower — rain
  23. suit — in cards
  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