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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. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. mug — to rob
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. hand — in cards
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. rest — a break
  9. chest — a box
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. chest — of your body
  12. wound — an injury
  13. mug — a cup
  14. race — the arms race
  15. wound — an injury
  16. race — a contest
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. hand — help
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. chest — of your body
  21. mug — a face
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. rest — what's left
  24. rest — what's left

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