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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. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. We're on a ________________ here.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. craft — boats
  3. spring — of water
  4. race — the arms race
  5. craft — a skill
  6. cap — a lid
  7. cap — of ice
  8. race — humankind
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. roll — a list
  11. race — a contest
  12. squash — the sport
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. roll — on a roll
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. spring — a coil
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. squash — to crush
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. roll — a cake
  23. cap — a hat
  24. spring — the season

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