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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. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. branch — a division
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. ball — a dance
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. ball — a great time
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. race — the arms race
  21. date — the fruit
  22. row — a line
  23. race — humankind
  24. row — to paddle

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