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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 120 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: scale · wake · rush · bark · clip · craft · tear · race

  1. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. scale — size or range
  3. clip — a video
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. tear — from crying
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. race — humankind
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. clip — to cut
  10. bark — to shout
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. wake — a trail
  13. race — a contest
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. craft — a skill
  16. craft — boats
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. rush — hurry
  20. scale — in music
  21. tear — from crying
  22. clip — for paper
  23. tear — to rip
  24. wake — before a funeral

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