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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. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. The water is too ________________.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. cold — the Cold War
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. craft — a skill
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. track — to keep track
  7. track — a path
  8. lean — to bend
  9. drill — a practice
  10. craft — boats
  11. object — a thing
  12. cold — not warm
  13. firm — a company
  14. drill — army training
  15. rash — a series
  16. drill — the tool
  17. object — an aim
  18. cold — an illness
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. track — a song
  21. object — to protest
  22. lean — thin
  23. firm — decided
  24. firm — steady

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