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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 120 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: nail · race · plane · rush · wake · craft · spring · mug

  1. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. wake — a trail
  4. spring — the season
  5. mug — to rob
  6. craft — a skill
  7. craft — boats
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. race — the arms race
  13. spring — a coil
  14. mug — a face
  15. rush — hurry
  16. spring — of water
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. race — humankind
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. mug — a cup
  22. plane — a tool
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. race — a contest

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