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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. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. race — a contest
  5. ball — a dance
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. file — a document
  8. ball — a great time
  9. file — a tool
  10. suit — in cards
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. lean — thin
  13. race — the arms race
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. lean — to bend
  16. suit — to fit
  17. suit — clothes
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. fine — all right
  22. file — a line of people
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. race — humankind

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