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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: sharp · craft · firm · race · staff · wound · rule · calf

  1. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. craft — boats
  3. staff — employees
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. race — humankind
  6. craft — a skill
  7. staff — employees
  8. staff — a stick
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. firm — decided
  12. race — a contest
  13. race — the arms race
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. wound — an injury
  17. firm — steady
  18. rule — a law
  19. wound — an injury
  20. sharp — clever
  21. rule — government
  22. firm — a company
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. calf — of the leg

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