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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: fall · cap · track · race · wax · craft · foot · chip

  1. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. fall — to drop
  3. cap — of ice
  4. wax — to grow
  5. track — to keep track
  6. cap — a hat
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. fall — to drop
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. track — a song
  11. foot — a measure
  12. track — a path
  13. craft — boats
  14. chip — to eat
  15. race — a contest
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. craft — a skill
  18. race — humankind
  19. cap — a lid
  20. race — the arms race
  21. chip — for betting
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. fall — the season
  24. foot — the bottom

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