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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 120 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: calf · shower · race · pass · fork · net · wound · temple

  1. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. race — the arms race
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. race — a contest
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. wound — an injury
  15. shower — rain
  16. wound — an injury
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. net — after costs
  19. fork — in a road
  20. net — in sport
  21. race — humankind
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. pass — a permit
  24. shower — to wash

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