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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 · pass · cell · race · mine · wake · band · mouse

  1. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  20. He was locked up in a ________________.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. race — humankind
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. band — a ring
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. race — the arms race
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. pass — a permit
  13. mine — for digging
  14. craft — boats
  15. cell — a phone
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. race — a contest
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. cell — in biology
  20. cell — in a prison
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. band — a music group
  24. craft — a skill

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