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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. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. tear — from crying
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. tear — to rip
  7. race — the arms race
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. race — humankind
  11. mine — for digging
  12. bank — for money
  13. bank — of a river
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. race — a contest
  16. mug — to rob
  17. foot — a measure
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. tear — from crying
  21. mug — a cup
  22. mug — a face
  23. bank — for money
  24. wave — with your hand

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