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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: calf · rush · mate · kid · stand · race · face · spell

  1. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. spell — magic
  3. stand — to bear
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. kid — to tease
  9. mate — a friend
  10. mate — to breed
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. face — part of the head
  13. rush — hurry
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. face — to point toward
  16. face — to confront
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. kid — child
  19. race — humankind
  20. mate — a partner
  21. spell — a short time
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. race — the arms race
  24. race — a contest

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