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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 116 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. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. tube — the underground
  4. craft — boats
  5. capital — money
  6. craft — a skill
  7. mate — to breed
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. race — a contest
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. capital — a city
  15. race — the arms race
  16. kid — to tease
  17. mate — a friend
  18. mate — a partner
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. tube — a container
  22. kid — child
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. craft — a handicraft

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