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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. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. race — a contest
  3. tube — a container
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. tube — the underground
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. present — there
  10. mark — a grade
  11. present — a gift
  12. race — humankind
  13. key — in music
  14. race — the arms race
  15. key — for a lock
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. drill — the tool
  18. mark — a trace
  19. drill — army training
  20. drill — a practice
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. present — the time now
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. key — the most important part

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