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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. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. rule — government
  6. mark — a trace
  7. race — a contest
  8. mine — for digging
  9. race — humankind
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. spell — magic
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. rule — a law
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. race — the arms race
  21. spell — a short time
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. mark — a grade
  24. rule — to rule out

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