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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. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. rash — hasty
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. bore — to drill
  5. race — humankind
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. branch — a division
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. rash — a series
  12. bass — low music
  13. last — final
  14. race — the arms race
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. bass — the fish
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. race — a contest
  19. last — finally
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. bore — to tire
  22. last — to go on
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. bore — gave birth

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