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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. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. current — electric
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. current — of water
  6. current — happening now
  7. bear — the animal
  8. race — humankind
  9. spring — the season
  10. toast — a drink to someone
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. spring — of water
  14. toast — bread
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. spring — a coil
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. jam — a tight spot
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. bear — the animal
  22. race — the arms race
  23. mine — for digging
  24. toast — the most admired

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