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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. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. race — the arms race
  3. race — humankind
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. track — to keep track
  6. track — a path
  7. can — a tin
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. tube — the underground
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. tube — a container
  15. can — a tin
  16. bass — the fish
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. track — a song
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. can — to be able to
  22. race — a contest
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. bass — low music

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