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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: calf · bear · rule · bat · fall · race

  1. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. race — the arms race
  3. bear — the animal
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. bear — the animal
  7. fall — to drop
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. bat — the animal
  10. fall — to drop
  11. fall — the season
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. rule — government
  16. race — a contest
  17. race — humankind
  18. rule — a law

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