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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: bass · stand · craft · last · wax · race · club · rest

  1. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. stand — to bear
  5. club — for golf
  6. club — a group
  7. craft — boats
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. rest — what's left
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. last — finally
  12. craft — a skill
  13. club — for dancing
  14. last — final
  15. bass — low music
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. rest — a break
  19. last — to go on
  20. race — humankind
  21. wax — to grow
  22. rest — what's left
  23. bass — the fish
  24. race — a contest

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