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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: race · can · firm · chest · rash · stick · mark · calf

  1. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  14. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. firm — decided
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. race — humankind
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. can — to be able to
  7. mark — a grade
  8. rash — a series
  9. firm — steady
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. can — a tin
  13. chest — a box
  14. chest — of your body
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. race — the arms race
  18. rash — hasty
  19. firm — a company
  20. mark — a trace
  21. chest — of your body
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. can — a tin
  24. calf — of the leg

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