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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. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. craft — boats
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. race — the arms race
  5. cap — a hat
  6. cap — of ice
  7. file — a line of people
  8. swing — music
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. lean — thin
  11. cap — a lid
  12. perch — the fish
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. race — humankind
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. swing — in golf
  19. file — a tool
  20. file — a document
  21. craft — a skill
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. lean — to bend
  24. swing — to play on

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