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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 speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. ground — a position
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. race — the arms race
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. race — humankind
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. branch — a division
  16. race — a contest
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. ground — the earth
  19. vault — a safe
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. ground — crushed
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. racket — for tennis

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