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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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. race — a contest
  4. clip — a video
  5. march — the month
  6. march — the month
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. squash — to crush
  9. race — humankind
  10. clip — for paper
  11. bore — to drill
  12. race — the arms race
  13. squash — the sport
  14. craft — a skill
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. clip — to cut
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. march — music
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. craft — boats
  24. bore — to tire

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