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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. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. race — humankind
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. race — a contest
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. race — the arms race
  12. content — the amount
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. rock — a stone
  15. chair — a leader
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. shower — to wash
  18. rock — music
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. pound — a weight
  21. content — happy
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. chair — a professorship

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