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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 train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. staff — employees
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. bore — to tire
  6. object — to protest
  7. staff — employees
  8. object — a thing
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. bore — to drill
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. race — the arms race
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. object — an aim
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. staff — a stick
  18. dip — to sink
  19. race — a contest
  20. club — for golf
  21. club — a group
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. club — for dancing
  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