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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. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  12. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. shower — to wash
  3. shower — rain
  4. craft — boats
  5. race — humankind
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. race — the arms race
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. chest — a box
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. chip — to eat
  16. race — a contest
  17. craft — a skill
  18. chip — for betting
  19. date — the fruit
  20. row — a line
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. chest — of your body
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. chest — of your body

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