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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 116 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. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. race — a contest
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. fall — to drop
  6. fall — the season
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. pit — a hole
  9. race — humankind
  10. fall — to drop
  11. cell — a phone
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. mate — to breed
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. pit — in a race
  16. saw — the tool
  17. mate — a friend
  18. race — the arms race
  19. cell — in biology
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. mate — a partner

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