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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: wound · bear · calf · present · race · rash · season · saw

  1. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. wound — an injury
  3. season — of the year
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. bear — the animal
  8. season — in sport
  9. saw — the tool
  10. present — there
  11. rash — a series
  12. saw — the tool
  13. race — a contest
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. present — the time now
  17. wound — an injury
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. rash — hasty
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. race — humankind
  22. race — the arms race
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. present — a gift

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