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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: drill · face · bulb · bear · rock · rash · race · calf

  1. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. race — a contest
  4. bulb — for light
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. rash — a series
  7. drill — a practice
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. rock — a stone
  10. face — to point toward
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. face — to confront
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. race — the arms race
  15. drill — the tool
  16. bear — the animal
  17. rock — music
  18. rash — hasty
  19. bear — the animal
  20. bulb — for light
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. drill — army training
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. face — part of the head

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