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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. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. race — the arms race
  3. fall — to drop
  4. bear — the animal
  5. object — an aim
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. bear — the animal
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. race — a contest
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. object — a thing
  12. race — humankind
  13. fall — to drop
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. object — to protest
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. sharp — clever
  19. lie — to recline
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. fall — the season
  24. sharp — with an edge

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