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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: mark · temple · race · track · hand · wax · season · craft

  1. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. mark — a grade
  4. race — a contest
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. race — the arms race
  8. wax — to grow
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. track — a song
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. track — a path
  13. mark — a trace
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. craft — boats
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. hand — help
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. craft — a skill
  21. season — of the year
  22. race — humankind
  23. track — to keep track
  24. hand — in cards

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