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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. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. tear — to rip
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. fall — to drop
  8. race — the arms race
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. perch — the fish
  11. fall — the season
  12. squash — the sport
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. ball — a dance
  15. ball — a great time
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. squash — to crush
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. tear — from crying
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. fall — to drop
  22. tear — from crying
  23. race — a contest
  24. calf — a young animal

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