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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 120 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. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. rash — hasty
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. rash — a series
  6. wax — to grow
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. craft — boats
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. race — humankind
  17. bark — to shout
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. race — a contest
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. craft — a skill

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