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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.

Words on the sheet
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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 · roll · mug · saw · land · lash · calf · race

  1. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. We're on a ________________ here.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. race — a contest
  3. mug — a face
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. wake — a trail
  9. roll — a list
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. land — ground
  12. roll — on a roll
  13. mug — to rob
  14. land — a country
  15. race — the arms race
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. saw — the tool
  18. roll — a cake
  19. race — humankind
  20. mug — a cup
  21. saw — the tool
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. land — to come down

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