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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: wake · chip · current · race · rush · hide · date · calf

  1. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. Have you settled on a ________________?
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. date — the fruit
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. wake — a trail
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. current — electric
  7. rush — hurry
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. current — happening now
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. race — a contest
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. chip — to eat
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. chip — for betting
  20. current — of water
  21. race — the arms race
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. race — humankind

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