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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. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. race — humankind
  4. row — to paddle
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. stand — to bear
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. current — electric
  13. current — happening now
  14. ground — a position
  15. race — the arms race
  16. ground — the earth
  17. row — a line
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. race — a contest
  20. current — of water
  21. kick — in football
  22. ground — crushed
  23. dip — to sink
  24. stand — on your feet

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