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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. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. race — humankind
  6. wind — moving air
  7. race — the arms race
  8. can — a tin
  9. can — to be able to
  10. bulb — for light
  11. rule — government
  12. plane — a tool
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. ground — crushed
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. bulb — for light
  18. wind — moving air
  19. race — a contest
  20. ground — a position
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. rule — a law
  23. ground — the earth
  24. can — a tin

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