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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 giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. suit — to fit
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. race — the arms race
  5. race — a contest
  6. drill — the tool
  7. suit — clothes
  8. wound — an injury
  9. wound — an injury
  10. last — finally
  11. drill — a practice
  12. drill — army training
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. last — final
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. race — humankind
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. suit — in cards
  23. last — to go on
  24. fan — a supporter

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