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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 · race · arm · wave · staff · rest · temple · march

  1. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. race — humankind
  4. rest — what's left
  5. staff — employees
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. staff — employees
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. race — a contest
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. staff — a stick
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. march — music
  16. race — the arms race
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. march — the month
  19. march — the month
  20. rest — a break
  21. craft — a skill
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. rest — what's left

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