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

Word bank: stand · net · kick · last · race · craft

  1. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. net — for catching
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. last — final
  6. net — in sport
  7. stand — to bear
  8. craft — boats
  9. last — finally
  10. race — humankind
  11. net — after costs
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. last — to go on
  14. craft — a skill
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. race — the arms race
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. race — a contest

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