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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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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 · toast · bowl · fall · mark · current · race · rest

  1. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. mark — a grade
  3. rest — a break
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. race — the arms race
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. toast — bread
  9. race — humankind
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. race — a contest
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. rest — what's left
  14. fall — the season
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. fall — to drop
  17. mark — a trace
  18. current — happening now
  19. fall — to drop
  20. current — electric
  21. rest — what's left
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. current — of water
  24. bowl — a football final

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