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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. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. race — a contest
  3. race — humankind
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. can — to be able to
  10. can — a tin
  11. can — a tin
  12. field — farmland
  13. field — a subject
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. field — for sport
  16. bulb — for light
  17. bulb — for light
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. race — the arms race
  21. kick — in football
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. bulb — of a plant

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