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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: race · craft · mug · snap · can · wake · spell · wave

  1. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. craft — boats
  3. can — to be able to
  4. can — a tin
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. race — humankind
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. craft — a skill
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. race — the arms race
  13. spell — a short time
  14. can — a tin
  15. snap — to click
  16. spell — magic
  17. mug — a cup
  18. spell — letters
  19. race — a contest
  20. mug — a face
  21. wake — a trail
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. mug — to rob

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