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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 · fine · lean · rash · race · hand · saw · staff

  1. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. hand — help
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. lean — thin
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. rash — a series
  9. staff — employees
  10. lean — to bend
  11. hand — in cards
  12. race — humankind
  13. race — the arms race
  14. fine — all right
  15. saw — the tool
  16. saw — the tool
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. staff — a stick
  19. fine — high quality
  20. rash — hasty
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. staff — employees
  24. race — a contest

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