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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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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: spell · calf · perch · rule · race · key · deal · stem

  1. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. race — humankind
  3. rule — a law
  4. key — for a lock
  5. perch — the fish
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. key — the most important part
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. spell — a short time
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. spell — magic
  18. key — in music
  19. deal — to handle
  20. stem — to come from
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. race — the arms race
  23. rule — government
  24. spell — letters

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