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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 124 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 giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. race — a contest
  4. drill — a practice
  5. ground — a position
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. race — the arms race
  8. drill — army training
  9. wound — an injury
  10. ground — crushed
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. wax — to grow
  13. bulb — for light
  14. ground — the earth
  15. stand — to bear
  16. wound — an injury
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. drill — the tool
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. bulb — for light
  22. race — humankind
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. wax — for sculpting

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