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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: craft · mark · date · root · lash · board · rule · race

  1. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. rule — government
  6. mark — a grade
  7. root — the cause
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. date — the fruit
  11. board — to get on
  12. race — a contest
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. craft — a skill
  15. root — of a plant
  16. race — humankind
  17. mark — a trace
  18. root — of a word
  19. rule — a law
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. craft — boats
  23. board — a committee
  24. lash — an eyelash

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