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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: hand · calf · race · trunk · rash · rule · bay · craft

  1. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. race — a contest
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. rash — hasty
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. race — humankind
  7. hand — help
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. rule — government
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. race — the arms race
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. rash — a series
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. craft — boats
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. hand — in cards
  22. craft — a skill
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. rule — to rule out

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