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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. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. cap — a hat
  3. cue — a hint
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. cap — a lid
  6. bat — the animal
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. lie — to recline
  10. lean — to bend
  11. cue — a signal
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. cue — for pool
  14. squash — to crush
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. race — a contest
  19. lean — thin
  20. squash — the sport
  21. cap — of ice
  22. race — humankind
  23. race — the arms race
  24. squash — the vegetable

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