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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: kick · mouse · calf · field · fan · rash · object · race

  1. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. kick — in football
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. object — an aim
  10. race — a contest
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. field — farmland
  13. field — a subject
  14. rash — hasty
  15. object — a thing
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. field — for sport
  18. race — the arms race
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. rash — a series
  22. race — humankind
  23. object — to protest
  24. mouse — the animal

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