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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. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  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. craft — a handicraft
  2. rest — what's left
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. date — the fruit
  7. current — happening now
  8. face — to confront
  9. rest — what's left
  10. craft — boats
  11. face — to point toward
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. face — part of the head
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. craft — a skill
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. race — the arms race
  18. current — electric
  19. rest — a break
  20. current — of water
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. race — a contest
  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