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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: safe · pop · lie · rest · degree · calf · ball · race

  1. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. rest — what's left
  6. rest — what's left
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. ball — a dance
  11. rest — a break
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. race — humankind
  14. degree — an amount
  15. pop — to visit
  16. lie — to recline
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. race — the arms race
  20. degree — from a university
  21. ball — a great time
  22. pop — soda
  23. pop — music
  24. degree — temperature

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