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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: branch · mouse · wake · net · date · craft · rush · race

  1. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. craft — boats
  3. craft — a skill
  4. net — for catching
  5. branch — a division
  6. net — in sport
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. race — the arms race
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. rush — hurry
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. net — after costs
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. date — the fruit
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. wake — a trail
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. race — a contest
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. wake — before a funeral

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