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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. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. race — humankind
  4. craft — a skill
  5. bear — the animal
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. file — a tool
  10. saw — the tool
  11. can — to be able to
  12. bear — the animal
  13. craft — boats
  14. file — a line of people
  15. can — a tin
  16. race — the arms race
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. saw — the tool
  22. can — a tin
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. file — a document

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