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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. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. race — humankind
  3. band — a music group
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. land — ground
  6. land — to come down
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. band — a ring
  9. race — the arms race
  10. board — a committee
  11. race — a contest
  12. kid — to tease
  13. land — a country
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. board — to get on
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. bulb — for light
  20. bulb — for light
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. kid — child

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