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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. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. craft — a skill
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. craft — boats
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. mark — a grade
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. row — to paddle
  9. race — the arms race
  10. row — a line
  11. squash — the sport
  12. squash — to crush
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. mark — a trace
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. race — humankind

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