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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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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: cell · rash · craft · tube · suit · wound · wave · race

  1. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. wound — an injury
  3. craft — boats
  4. suit — to fit
  5. rash — hasty
  6. race — a contest
  7. suit — in cards
  8. wound — an injury
  9. cell — in biology
  10. race — the arms race
  11. craft — a skill
  12. race — humankind
  13. tube — a container
  14. tube — the underground
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. cell — a phone
  18. suit — clothes
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. cell — in a prison
  24. tube — in a tire

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