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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 116 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. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. scale — size or range
  3. staff — a stick
  4. track — a path
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. race — a contest
  8. staff — employees
  9. pass — a permit
  10. cap — a hat
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. cap — a lid
  13. staff — employees
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. race — the arms race
  16. bear — the animal
  17. bear — the animal
  18. cap — of ice
  19. scale — in music
  20. track — to keep track
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. track — a song
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. race — humankind

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