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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 walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. race — humankind
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. race — a contest
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. deal — to handle
  11. cap — of ice
  12. spell — a short time
  13. file — a tool
  14. bear — the animal
  15. race — the arms race
  16. spell — letters
  17. file — a document
  18. cap — a lid
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. spell — magic
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. cap — a hat
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. bear — the 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