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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.

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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. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. toast — bread
  4. craft — boats
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. current — happening now
  7. chest — of your body
  8. degree — an amount
  9. race — the arms race
  10. race — humankind
  11. chest — a box
  12. current — electric
  13. degree — temperature
  14. chest — of your body
  15. current — of water
  16. race — a contest
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. can — a tin
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. can — to be able to
  22. can — a tin
  23. degree — from a university
  24. craft — a skill

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