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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 116 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. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. sharp — clever
  3. firm — steady
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. firm — a company
  7. firm — decided
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. pit — in a race
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. file — a document
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. pit — a hole
  15. stem — to come from
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. race — a contest
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. file — a line of people
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. file — a tool
  24. race — the arms race

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