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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. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. race — humankind
  4. saw — the tool
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. rush — hurry
  7. saw — the tool
  8. race — a contest
  9. race — the arms race
  10. drill — army training
  11. bound — obliged
  12. craft — a skill
  13. bound — certain
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. rest — what's left
  17. rest — a break
  18. bound — tied together
  19. drill — the tool
  20. drill — a practice
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. craft — boats
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. mouse — the animal

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