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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. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. file — a line of people
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. race — humankind
  6. board — a committee
  7. file — a document
  8. degree — an amount
  9. race — the arms race
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. file — a tool
  15. degree — from a university
  16. race — a contest
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. board — to get on
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. degree — temperature
  24. patient — a sick person

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