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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 ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. race — humankind
  3. bass — low music
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. wind — moving air
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. race — the arms race
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. bass — the fish
  13. wind — moving air
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. race — a contest
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. hide — to keep secret

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