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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. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. rash — hasty
  3. bear — the animal
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. race — the arms race
  6. net — for catching
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. drill — the tool
  10. craft — boats
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. wound — an injury
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. net — after costs
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. race — humankind
  17. bear — the animal
  18. wound — an injury
  19. rash — a series
  20. race — a contest
  21. craft — a skill
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. drill — army training
  24. net — in sport

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