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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. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  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 — a young animal
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. race — humankind
  4. race — a contest
  5. race — the arms race
  6. bound — obliged
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. roll — a cake
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. bound — tied together
  13. cap — a lid
  14. cap — of ice
  15. fall — to drop
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. bound — certain
  19. fall — the season
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. cap — a hat
  22. roll — a list
  23. ruler — for measuring
  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