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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. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  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. dip — a sauce
  2. craft — a skill
  3. capital — money
  4. race — humankind
  5. dip — to sink
  6. mug — to rob
  7. present — the time now
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. race — the arms race
  12. mug — a face
  13. present — a gift
  14. craft — boats
  15. mug — a cup
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. race — a contest
  19. capital — a city
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. present — there
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  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