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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. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. bear — the animal
  3. march — the month
  4. cap — a hat
  5. bear — the animal
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. race — humankind
  9. march — music
  10. march — the month
  11. pass — a permit
  12. root — of a plant
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. tube — the underground
  15. root — of a word
  16. root — the cause
  17. cap — a lid
  18. race — the arms race
  19. cap — of ice
  20. race — a contest
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. tube — a container
  23. pass — to spend time
  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