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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 116 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. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. race — the arms race
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. squash — to crush
  6. ball — a dance
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. race — a contest
  9. tear — from crying
  10. last — to go on
  11. squash — the sport
  12. craft — a skill
  13. ball — a great time
  14. tear — to rip
  15. craft — boats
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. tear — from crying
  18. band — a ring
  19. last — final
  20. last — finally
  21. band — a music group
  22. race — humankind
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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