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

Word bank: rash · fall · race · calf · dip · tear

  1. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. rash — hasty
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. dip — to sink
  7. race — humankind
  8. rash — a series
  9. race — the arms race
  10. fall — to drop
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. fall — the season
  13. race — a contest
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. tear — to rip
  16. tear — from crying
  17. fall — to drop
  18. rash — on the skin

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