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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. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. race — the arms race
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. race — humankind
  6. toast — bread
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. toast — a drink to someone
  9. vault — a safe
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. race — a contest
  14. kid — child
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. fork — in a road
  17. tube — the underground
  18. kid — to tease
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. tube — a container
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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