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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. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. kick — in football
  5. pit — in a race
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. race — a contest
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. charge — in control
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. race — humankind
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. race — the arms race
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. mark — a trace
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. charge — electricity
  22. mark — a grade
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. charge — a price

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