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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: race · calf · fine · date · arm · straw · cabinet · root

  1. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. Have you settled on a ________________?
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. fine — all right
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. root — the cause
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. fine — high quality
  19. root — of a word
  20. race — a contest
  21. date — the fruit
  22. race — the arms race
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. root — of a plant

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