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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. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. race — humankind
  5. current — happening now
  6. season — in sport
  7. craft — a skill
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. season — of the year
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. craft — boats
  12. sharp — clever
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. race — a contest
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. current — electric
  19. row — to paddle
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. row — a line
  23. race — the arms race
  24. current — of water

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