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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 120 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 pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. chest — of your body
  3. rash — hasty
  4. mug — a cup
  5. mug — to rob
  6. race — humankind
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. bark — to shout
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. mug — a face
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. game — a match
  15. race — the arms race
  16. chest — a box
  17. rash — a series
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. race — a contest
  24. chest — of your body

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