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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 · wake · craft · firm · prune · lie · land · race

  1. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. land — to come down
  3. race — humankind
  4. prune — to trim
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. race — the arms race
  7. wake — a trail
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. firm — decided
  11. craft — a skill
  12. firm — a company
  13. craft — boats
  14. prune — to trim
  15. land — a country
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. land — ground
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. race — a contest
  24. lie — to recline

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