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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: race · nail · cold · calf · last · fork · cell · suit

  1. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. The water is too ________________.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. cold — not warm
  3. fork — in a road
  4. race — humankind
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. cold — an illness
  8. cell — a phone
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. race — a contest
  11. last — to go on
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. cell — in biology
  14. suit — to fit
  15. suit — clothes
  16. last — finally
  17. race — the arms race
  18. suit — in cards
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. cold — the Cold War
  22. last — final
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. calf — a young animal

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