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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. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. hand — in cards
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. hand — help
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. sharp — clever
  8. race — the arms race
  9. race — a contest
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. game — a match
  12. race — humankind
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. lie — to recline
  17. game — wild animals
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. bear — the animal
  24. calf — a young animal

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