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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: coach · dip · craft · race · rash · present · cold · roll

  1. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. The water is too ________________.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. race — the arms race
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. present — the time now
  5. race — a contest
  6. dip — to sink
  7. craft — boats
  8. present — a gift
  9. cold — the Cold War
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. present — there
  12. cold — an illness
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. race — humankind
  15. roll — a list
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. cold — not warm
  18. craft — a skill
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. rash — hasty
  23. roll — a cake
  24. coach — a trainer

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