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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. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. race — humankind
  4. ground — a position
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. ground — the earth
  7. ground — crushed
  8. suit — in cards
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. wake — a trail
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. rash — a series
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. suit — clothes
  15. rash — hasty
  16. race — a contest
  17. craft — boats
  18. capital — money
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. suit — to fit
  21. capital — a big letter
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. capital — a city
  24. craft — a skill

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