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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: object · date · hide · craft · bass · race · wake · stand

  1. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. Have you settled on a ________________?
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  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. object — an aim
  2. bass — the fish
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. craft — boats
  8. date — the fruit
  9. wake — a trail
  10. race — humankind
  11. race — the arms race
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. craft — a skill
  15. object — a thing
  16. bass — low music
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. object — to protest
  19. race — a contest
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. stand — to bear
  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