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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 120 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. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. race — the arms race
  4. pop — soda
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. capital — money
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. pop — music
  11. capital — a city
  12. sharp — clever
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. lie — to recline
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. race — humankind
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. race — a contest
  21. pop — to visit
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. lie — an untruth

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