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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 124 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 spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. race — humankind
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. spell — a short time
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. race — the arms race
  9. bound — certain
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. bound — tied together
  12. spell — magic
  13. dip — to sink
  14. capital — a city
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. capital — money
  18. spell — letters
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. craft — boats
  22. kick — in football
  23. race — a contest
  24. bound — obliged

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