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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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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: stick · rest · pass · field · calf · race

  1. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. rest — a break
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. pass — a permit
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. race — humankind
  12. rest — what's left
  13. field — farmland
  14. field — a subject
  15. field — for sport
  16. race — the arms race
  17. race — a contest
  18. stick — a piece of wood

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