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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: wake · press · swing · craft · race · jam · plane · patient

  1. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. wake — a trail
  3. press — to push
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. race — the arms race
  6. press — a publisher
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. craft — a skill
  10. press — newspapers
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. swing — to play on
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. craft — boats
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. swing — in golf
  18. race — humankind
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. plane — a tool
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. swing — music

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