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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 president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. mate — a partner
  4. mug — a cup
  5. track — a song
  6. mate — a friend
  7. mug — a face
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. track — to keep track
  10. ground — the earth
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. race — humankind
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. race — the arms race
  15. race — a contest
  16. ground — crushed
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. squash — the sport
  19. ground — a position
  20. mate — to breed
  21. mug — to rob
  22. track — a path
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. safe — out of danger

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