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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: rash · leaves · race · craft · bark · sharp · rock · nail

  1. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. rash — hasty
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. race — the arms race
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. bark — to shout
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. craft — boats
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. sharp — clever
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. rash — a series
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. race — humankind
  18. rock — a stone
  19. craft — a skill
  20. rock — music
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. sharp — exactly

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