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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: craft · wake · cap · kick · dip · race

  1. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  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. craft — a skill
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. dip — to sink
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. race — the arms race
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. craft — boats
  9. cap — a lid
  10. wake — a trail
  11. race — humankind
  12. kick — in football
  13. cap — a hat
  14. cap — of ice
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. kick — a thrill
  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