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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: firm · craft · wake · ball · dip · chest · race · shower

  1. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. ball — a dance
  3. race — a contest
  4. race — humankind
  5. chest — a box
  6. craft — boats
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. firm — steady
  9. dip — to sink
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. firm — decided
  12. craft — a skill
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. ball — a great time
  15. shower — to wash
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. race — the arms race
  18. chest — of your body
  19. shower — rain
  20. chest — of your body
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. firm — a company
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. wake — a trail

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