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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. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. wind — moving air
  3. toast — bread
  4. rest — what's left
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. race — a contest
  8. drill — the tool
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. race — humankind
  11. drill — army training
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. race — the arms race
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. staff — employees
  16. rest — a break
  17. staff — employees
  18. staff — a stick
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. wind — moving air
  21. rest — what's left
  22. toast — a drink to someone
  23. pound — a weight
  24. calf — a young animal

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