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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: calf · board · deal · race · rock · stick · mine · wake

  1. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. rock — music
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. deal — to handle
  7. wake — a trail
  8. race — humankind
  9. board — a committee
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. rock — a stone
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. board — to get on
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. mine — for digging
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. race — the arms race
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. race — a contest
  24. mine — belonging to me

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