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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. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. stand — to bear
  3. craft — a skill
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. clip — to cut
  8. firm — decided
  9. fine — all right
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. clip — for paper
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. race — a contest
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. firm — steady
  18. race — humankind
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. craft — boats
  22. firm — a company
  23. race — the arms race
  24. clip — a video

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