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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 120 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. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. craft — boats
  4. game — wild animals
  5. race — a contest
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. hand — help
  8. race — humankind
  9. game — a match
  10. bound — certain
  11. hand — in cards
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. bound — tied together
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. rush — hurry
  22. bound — obliged
  23. craft — a skill
  24. rush — a thrill

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