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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: rock · straw · current · race · temple · craft · last · capital

  1. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. craft — a skill
  3. last — to go on
  4. current — electric
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. current — of water
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. rock — music
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. race — a contest
  14. rock — a stone
  15. last — final
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. capital — money
  19. current — happening now
  20. craft — boats
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. last — finally
  23. capital — a city
  24. race — humankind

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