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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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Word bank
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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: race · plane · shower · rock · rule · calf

  1. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. race — humankind
  3. rule — a law
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. rule — government
  7. race — a contest
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. rock — a stone
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. shower — to wash
  14. rock — music
  15. shower — rain
  16. race — the arms race
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. plane — an aircraft

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