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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 girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. rest — what's left
  3. kick — in football
  4. scale — in music
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. scale — size or range
  7. race — the arms race
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. rest — what's left
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. season — in sport
  19. season — of the year
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. row — to paddle
  22. race — humankind
  23. race — a contest
  24. rest — a break

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