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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 116 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: wound · nail · march · current · race · craft · face · rush

  1. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. race — the arms race
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. wound — an injury
  7. march — music
  8. current — of water
  9. craft — boats
  10. rush — hurry
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. march — the month
  13. march — the month
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. face — part of the head
  16. race — a contest
  17. current — happening now
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. current — electric
  20. race — humankind
  21. face — to confront
  22. face — to point toward
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. craft — a skill

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