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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. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. firm — a company
  4. firm — decided
  5. march — the month
  6. staff — a stick
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. bat — for baseball
  9. race — the arms race
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. staff — employees
  12. staff — employees
  13. firm — steady
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. mug — a face
  16. race — a contest
  17. rush — hurry
  18. mug — a cup
  19. march — music
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. mug — to rob
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. bat — the animal
  24. race — humankind

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