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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 · bat · cap · rash · rush · calf · bark · present

  1. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. bat — the animal
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. present — there
  5. rush — hurry
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. bark — to shout
  9. race — humankind
  10. present — the time now
  11. race — the arms race
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. race — a contest
  15. rash — hasty
  16. cap — a hat
  17. rash — a series
  18. cap — a lid
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. present — a gift
  22. cap — of ice
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. calf — a young animal

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