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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. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. tear — from crying
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. sharp — clever
  9. bound — obliged
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. race — a contest
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. tear — from crying
  17. bound — certain
  18. race — humankind
  19. race — the arms race
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. club — for dancing
  22. club — for golf
  23. bound — tied together
  24. tear — to rip

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