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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. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. fall — to drop
  4. cue — for pool
  5. race — a contest
  6. fall — to drop
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. cue — a signal
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. rock — a stone
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. cue — a hint
  17. pound — a weight
  18. deal — to handle
  19. race — the arms race
  20. race — humankind
  21. pass — a permit
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. rock — music
  24. fall — the season

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