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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. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. race — a contest
  3. land — ground
  4. present — there
  5. race — humankind
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. ground — crushed
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. mug — to rob
  11. mug — a face
  12. race — the arms race
  13. ground — the earth
  14. ground — a position
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. dip — to sink
  18. present — the time now
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. land — a country
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. land — to come down
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. mug — a cup

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