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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. race — a contest
  3. rush — hurry
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. race — humankind
  7. kick — in football
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. mark — a trace
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. mark — a grade
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. race — the arms race
  19. wax — to grow
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. craft — a skill
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. craft — boats

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