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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: leaves · key · craft · bear · hand · rush · wax · race

  1. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. race — a contest
  3. key — for a lock
  4. key — in music
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. craft — a skill
  7. hand — help
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. hand — in cards
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. craft — boats
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. rush — hurry
  17. race — the arms race
  18. key — the most important part
  19. wax — to grow
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. bear — the animal
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. bear — the animal

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