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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 had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. race — the arms race
  3. rest — what's left
  4. pit — a hole
  5. net — in sport
  6. can — a tin
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. chair — a leader
  9. fall — to drop
  10. net — for catching
  11. fall — the season
  12. race — humankind
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. rest — what's left
  15. net — after costs
  16. can — a tin
  17. rest — a break
  18. can — to be able to
  19. race — a contest
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. pit — in a race
  24. fall — to drop

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