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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. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. band — a music group
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. bound — tied together
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. kick — in football
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. race — a contest
  10. race — humankind
  11. mate — to breed
  12. mate — a partner
  13. mate — a friend
  14. band — a ring
  15. last — finally
  16. last — to go on
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. race — the arms race
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. bound — certain
  22. bound — obliged
  23. last — final
  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