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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 old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. staff — employees
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. bark — to shout
  9. staff — employees
  10. race — a contest
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. can — to be able to
  13. rush — hurry
  14. race — humankind
  15. pit — a hole
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. can — a tin
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. can — a tin
  22. race — the arms race
  23. pit — in a race
  24. calf — a young animal

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