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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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. The water is too ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. race — humankind
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. craft — a skill
  6. cold — the Cold War
  7. bulb — for light
  8. can — a tin
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. craft — boats
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. bulb — for light
  15. race — a contest
  16. spell — a short time
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. spell — letters
  19. cold — an illness
  20. spell — magic
  21. can — a tin
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. race — the arms race
  24. cold — not warm

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