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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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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: mate · calf · stand · race · snap · fork · tube · fine

  1. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. fork — in a road
  3. snap — to click
  4. fine — all right
  5. mate — to breed
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. tube — a container
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. stand — to bear
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. race — a contest
  14. race — the arms race
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. fine — high quality
  19. mate — a partner
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. tube — the underground
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. mate — a friend
  24. stand — on your feet

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