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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. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  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. mug — a face
  2. fine — all right
  3. race — humankind
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. mug — to rob
  6. lean — to bend
  7. mug — a cup
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. lean — thin
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. race — the arms race
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. fine — high quality
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. game — wild animals
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. sharp — clever
  19. game — a match
  20. craft — a skill
  21. race — a contest
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  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