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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. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. craft — boats
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. race — a contest
  5. rest — what's left
  6. race — humankind
  7. march — the month
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. mark — a trace
  10. rest — what's left
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. present — the time now
  13. bore — to drill
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. bore — to tire
  16. race — the arms race
  17. march — the month
  18. mark — a grade
  19. present — a gift
  20. craft — a skill
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. present — there
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. march — 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