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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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. race — a contest
  3. rush — hurry
  4. degree — from a university
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. degree — an amount
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. degree — temperature
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. race — humankind
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. race — the arms race
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. safe — out of danger

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