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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. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. race — humankind
  3. bass — low music
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. firm — steady
  6. mate — a friend
  7. vault — a safe
  8. craft — a skill
  9. track — a song
  10. fall — to drop
  11. mate — a partner
  12. firm — a company
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. track — to keep track
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. track — a path
  17. race — the arms race
  18. fall — to drop
  19. firm — decided
  20. fall — the season
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. bass — the fish
  23. race — a contest
  24. mate — to breed

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