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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. race — the arms race
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. pitch — completely
  6. wound — an injury
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. craft — a skill
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. race — humankind
  14. lean — to bend
  15. lean — thin
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. race — a contest
  18. craft — boats

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