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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. That must've been a ________________.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. race — a contest
  3. club — for golf
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. race — the arms race
  7. club — for dancing
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. club — a group
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. branch — a division
  12. bore — to drill
  13. foot — a measure
  14. bore — to tire
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. race — humankind
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. rush — hurry

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