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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. race — a contest
  5. file — a document
  6. prune — to trim
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. spell — magic
  10. rash — hasty
  11. bear — the animal
  12. mug — a face
  13. race — the arms race
  14. spell — a short time
  15. mug — to rob
  16. spell — letters
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. file — a tool
  19. rash — a series
  20. file — a line of people
  21. prune — to trim
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. mug — a cup
  24. bear — the 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