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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: bowl · race · mine · rest · calf · stand

  1. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. rest — what's left
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. race — a contest
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. rest — a break
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. rest — what's left
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. stand — to bear
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. mine — for digging
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. race — the arms race

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