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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: fall · current · mouse · squash · deal · race · calf · stick

  1. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. fall — to drop
  3. race — a contest
  4. squash — the sport
  5. deal — to handle
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. race — humankind
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. fall — the season
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. current — electric
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. current — happening now
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. race — the arms race
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. fall — to drop
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. current — of water
  23. squash — to crush
  24. mouse — the 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