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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: rush · stick · can · craft · leaves · race · mark · wind

  1. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. race — a contest
  3. mark — a trace
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. rush — hurry
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. race — the arms race
  9. can — a tin
  10. can — to be able to
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. wind — moving air
  14. can — a tin
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. craft — boats
  18. race — humankind
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. craft — a skill
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. wind — moving air

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