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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 116 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. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. rush — hurry
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. bore — to tire
  6. craft — a skill
  7. mug — to rob
  8. cue — for pool
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. bore — to drill
  12. craft — boats
  13. race — a contest
  14. race — humankind
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. plane — a tool
  18. mug — a cup
  19. cue — a signal
  20. cue — a hint
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. race — the arms race

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