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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 116 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: craft · bear · lie · firm · wake · coach · ground · race

  1. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  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 — boats
  2. firm — decided
  3. race — the arms race
  4. ground — the earth
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. race — humankind
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. craft — a skill
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. ground — a position
  15. bear — the animal
  16. wake — a trail
  17. ground — crushed
  18. firm — steady
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. lie — to recline
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. bear — the animal
  23. firm — a company
  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