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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. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. race — the arms race
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. mine — for digging
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. race — a contest
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. race — humankind
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. ruler — a monarch

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