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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. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. current — happening now
  4. rule — government
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. scale — in music
  7. craft — boats
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. craft — a skill
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. race — humankind
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. current — of water
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. lean — to bend
  17. race — the arms race
  18. rule — a law
  19. race — a contest
  20. current — electric
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. pit — in a race
  23. pit — a hole
  24. scale — size or range

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