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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 giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. chest — a box
  3. chest — of your body
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. cap — a lid
  7. race — a contest
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. cap — of ice
  11. bulb — for light
  12. fork — in a road
  13. race — the arms race
  14. chest — of your body
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. cap — a hat
  17. bulb — for light
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. race — humankind
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. deal — to handle
  24. calf — of the leg

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