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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 120 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. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. race — humankind
  3. craft — a skill
  4. race — a contest
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. shower — to wash
  10. wind — moving air
  11. rest — what's left
  12. rest — a break
  13. rock — a stone
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. race — the arms race
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. rest — what's left
  18. wind — moving air
  19. craft — boats
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. shower — rain
  22. scale — in music
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. rock — 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