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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 116 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. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. row — to paddle
  3. drill — army training
  4. ground — a position
  5. race — a contest
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. plane — a tool
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. race — the arms race
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. ground — crushed
  17. drill — the tool
  18. ground — the earth
  19. track — a path
  20. track — to keep track
  21. track — a song
  22. row — a line
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. drill — a practice

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