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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 · temple · craft · staff · season · pound · wound · rash

  1. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. season — of the year
  5. craft — boats
  6. craft — a skill
  7. wound — an injury
  8. race — the arms race
  9. staff — employees
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. wound — an injury
  13. rash — hasty
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. staff — employees
  17. race — humankind
  18. race — a contest
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. pound — a weight
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. rash — a series
  24. staff — a stick

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