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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. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. pitch — completely
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. race — humankind
  10. vault — a safe
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. race — a contest
  13. staff — employees
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. mark — a trace
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. deal — to handle
  18. staff — a stick
  19. cap — a lid
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. race — the arms race
  22. cap — a hat
  23. staff — employees
  24. mark — a grade

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