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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. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. race — the arms race
  5. mark — a grade
  6. board — to get on
  7. mark — a trace
  8. bound — obliged
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. race — a contest
  11. chest — a box
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. race — humankind
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. chest — of your body
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. bound — certain
  21. kid — to tease
  22. chest — of your body
  23. kid — child
  24. board — a committee

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