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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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. craft — a skill
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. race — humankind
  5. craft — boats
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. capital — a city
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. capital — money
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. pitch — completely
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. lean — thin
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. race — the arms race
  22. race — a contest
  23. lean — to bend
  24. rush — hurry

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