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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: stick · nail · race · calf · scale · last · wound · lie

  1. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. scale — in music
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. race — a contest
  8. lie — to recline
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. last — final
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. race — humankind
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. wound — an injury
  20. last — finally
  21. last — to go on
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. wound — an injury
  24. scale — size or range

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