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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: rule · wax · bear · craft · race · snap · cue · rash

  1. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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. race — the arms race
  4. bear — the animal
  5. cue — a signal
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. cue — for pool
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. snap — to click
  10. wax — to grow
  11. rash — a series
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. cue — a hint
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. rash — hasty
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. craft — a skill
  18. rule — government
  19. race — humankind
  20. rule — a law
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. bear — the animal
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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