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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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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. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. We're on a ________________ here.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. 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. last — final
  2. race — humankind
  3. game — wild animals
  4. suit — to fit
  5. last — finally
  6. ball — a dance
  7. game — a match
  8. plane — a tool
  9. suit — in cards
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. ball — a great time
  12. craft — a skill
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. suit — clothes
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. race — the arms race
  18. race — a contest
  19. last — to go on
  20. roll — a cake
  21. roll — a list
  22. roll — on a roll
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. 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