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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: degree · race · safe · calf · lie · hide · net · rash

  1. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. race — humankind
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. net — after costs
  5. net — for catching
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. net — in sport
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. rash — a series
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. race — the arms race
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. degree — an amount
  15. degree — from a university
  16. race — a contest
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. degree — temperature
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. lie — to recline
  23. rash — hasty
  24. rash — on the skin

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