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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: key · last · race · roll · net · ruler · wind · craft

  1. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. We're on a ________________ here.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. race — the arms race
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. craft — a skill
  5. roll — a cake
  6. last — final
  7. wind — moving air
  8. wind — moving air
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. roll — a list
  11. net — for catching
  12. last — to go on
  13. key — the most important part
  14. net — after costs
  15. roll — on a roll
  16. race — a contest
  17. net — in sport
  18. key — in music
  19. last — finally
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. craft — boats
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. key — for a lock
  24. race — humankind

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