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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: race · leaves · snap · present · craft · rush · march · bay

  1. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. present — there
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. race — the arms race
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. present — the time now
  10. march — the month
  11. present — a gift
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. march — the month
  14. race — a contest
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. craft — a skill
  18. rush — hurry
  19. snap — to click
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. march — music
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. race — humankind
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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