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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: cold · race · stick · calf · fine · scale · roll · wake

  1. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  8. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. The water is too ________________.
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. We're on a ________________ here.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. scale — in music
  5. race — a contest
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. cold — an illness
  8. cold — the Cold War
  9. wake — a trail
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. cold — not warm
  12. roll — a list
  13. race — the arms race
  14. roll — on a roll
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. race — humankind
  21. fine — all right
  22. scale — size or range
  23. fine — high quality
  24. roll — a cake

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