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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 120 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. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. lean — thin
  4. race — humankind
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. pop — music
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. tube — the underground
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. race — a contest
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. race — the arms race
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. pop — to visit
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. tube — a container
  24. pop — soda

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