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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: calf · rock · rush · race · toast · roll · stick · stem

  1. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — bread
  2. race — humankind
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. race — a contest
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. rock — a stone
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. roll — a cake
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. rock — music
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. rush — hurry
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. roll — a list
  21. race — the arms race
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. stem — to come from
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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