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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 · net · rash · calf · bound · roll · fine · wind

  1. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. bound — obliged
  3. race — a contest
  4. race — the arms race
  5. rash — hasty
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. bound — tied together
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. bound — certain
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. wind — moving air
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. race — humankind
  15. net — after costs
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. roll — a cake
  18. rash — a series
  19. fine — high quality
  20. net — in sport
  21. fine — all right
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. roll — a list
  24. net — for catching

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