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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. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. stand — to bear
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. craft — a skill
  8. band — a music group
  9. race — the arms race
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. current — of water
  13. race — humankind
  14. craft — boats
  15. current — electric
  16. race — a contest
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. kick — in football
  19. current — happening now
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. band — a ring
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. stand — for spectators

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