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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. When was this ________________ built?
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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. calf — a young animal
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. club — for dancing
  6. chair — a leader
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. race — humankind
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. pit — in a race
  13. race — a contest
  14. club — for golf
  15. rush — hurry
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. shower — rain
  20. club — a group
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. shower — to wash
  24. pit — a hole

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