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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. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. race — the arms race
  9. ground — the earth
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. craft — a skill
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. branch — a division
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. race — a contest
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. craft — boats
  23. race — humankind
  24. ground — a position

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