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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: suit · stand · craft · hand · bay · nail · race · lean

  1. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. race — a contest
  3. suit — clothes
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. hand — help
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. stand — to bear
  8. craft — a skill
  9. suit — in cards
  10. lean — to bend
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. suit — to fit
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. race — the arms race
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. lean — thin
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. race — humankind
  24. hand — in cards

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