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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
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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: leaves · band · race · game · shower · lie · stick · calf

  1. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. race — humankind
  3. shower — to wash
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. game — a match
  7. game — wild animals
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. race — a contest
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. band — a ring
  16. shower — rain
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. race — the arms race
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. lie — to recline
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. band — a music group

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