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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. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. clip — for paper
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. clip — to cut
  5. wound — an injury
  6. race — the arms race
  7. craft — boats
  8. stock — goods
  9. stock — shares
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. clip — a video
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. cap — a hat
  17. wound — an injury
  18. cap — of ice
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. cap — a lid
  21. race — a contest
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. craft — a skill
  24. pass — a permit

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