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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 120 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: chip · rash · wound · cell · kick · race · can · calf

  1. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. can — to be able to
  5. kick — in football
  6. cell — in biology
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. wound — an injury
  9. rash — a series
  10. rash — hasty
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. race — a contest
  14. race — humankind
  15. can — a tin
  16. wound — an injury
  17. chip — to eat
  18. can — a tin
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. chip — for betting
  22. cell — a phone
  23. cell — in a prison
  24. race — the arms race

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