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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 120 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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: craft · race · arm · wave · staff · rest

  1. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. staff — employees
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. rest — what's left
  5. rest — a break
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. race — the arms race
  10. race — a contest
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. craft — boats
  13. staff — a stick
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. craft — a skill
  16. rest — what's left
  17. race — humankind
  18. staff — employees

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