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

Word bank: calf · rash · race · stick · cue · press

  1. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. press — newspapers
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. cue — for pool
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. race — a contest
  8. race — humankind
  9. rash — hasty
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. cue — a signal
  12. rash — a series
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. press — to push
  16. cue — a hint
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. press — a publisher

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