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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 116 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 · rush · last · dip · cold · calf · suit · pass

  1. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. The water is too ________________.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. race — a contest
  3. race — the arms race
  4. suit — in cards
  5. suit — clothes
  6. cold — an illness
  7. last — finally
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. cold — not warm
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. cold — the Cold War
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. suit — to fit
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. last — final
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. pass — a permit
  21. rush — hurry
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. last — to go on
  24. dip — to sink

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