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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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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 · rash · hand · bark · calf · ball · cap · rush

  1. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. cap — a lid
  6. hand — in cards
  7. hand — help
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. bark — to shout
  10. race — a contest
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. rash — hasty
  14. ball — a dance
  15. race — humankind
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. rush — hurry
  18. rash — a series
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. race — the arms race
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. ball — a great time
  24. cap — a hat

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