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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 keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. bat — the animal
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. track — a song
  6. vault — a safe
  7. object — to protest
  8. race — the arms race
  9. row — to paddle
  10. race — a contest
  11. rest — what's left
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. object — an aim
  14. rest — a break
  15. race — humankind
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. object — a thing
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. track — a path
  23. row — a line
  24. rest — what's left

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