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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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. field — for sport
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. deal — to handle
  5. field — a subject
  6. race — a contest
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. can — a tin
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. field — farmland
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. file — a line of people
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. file — a tool
  18. race — humankind
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. race — the arms race
  21. file — a document
  22. can — a tin
  23. rush — hurry
  24. hide — animal skin

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