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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. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  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. fan — a supporter
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. land — to come down
  5. sharp — clever
  6. fall — to drop
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. race — the arms race
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. land — ground
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. fall — to drop
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. race — humankind
  18. fall — the season
  19. land — a country
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. race — a contest
  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