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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. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — to wash
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. rock — a stone
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. firm — decided
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. race — a contest
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. craft — a skill
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. firm — steady
  14. rock — music
  15. race — the arms race
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. race — humankind
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. shower — rain
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. firm — a company
  24. craft — boats

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