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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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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: wave · race · craft · lean · charge · pass · tear · wake

  1. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. tear — from crying
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. charge — a price
  9. craft — a skill
  10. lean — thin
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. craft — boats
  13. charge — in control
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. tear — to rip
  16. charge — electricity
  17. wake — a trail
  18. tear — from crying
  19. race — the arms race
  20. pass — a permit
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. race — a contest
  23. race — humankind
  24. pass — to spend time

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