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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: scale · rash · calf · race · current · wound · clip · root

  1. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. race — a contest
  3. rash — hasty
  4. current — happening now
  5. race — humankind
  6. race — the arms race
  7. root — of a plant
  8. scale — in music
  9. wound — an injury
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. rash — a series
  12. clip — a video
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. root — the cause
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. clip — to cut
  17. root — of a word
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. wound — an injury
  20. clip — for paper
  21. current — of water
  22. scale — size or range
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. current — electric

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