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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: row · craft · rock · race · lash · calf · hand · rash

  1. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. craft — a skill
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. rash — a series
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. craft — boats
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. race — humankind
  15. rock — a stone
  16. race — the arms race
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. hand — in cards
  20. row — a line
  21. row — to paddle
  22. race — a contest
  23. hand — help
  24. rock — music

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