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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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Word bank
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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: chip · wake · hand · craft · ruler · race · pass · mug

  1. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. wake — a trail
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. mug — a face
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. chip — for betting
  9. pass — a permit
  10. craft — a skill
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. mug — a cup
  13. craft — boats
  14. race — humankind
  15. mug — to rob
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. race — a contest
  20. race — the arms race
  21. hand — in cards
  22. chip — to eat
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. hand — help

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