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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. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. shower — rain
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. race — humankind
  8. race — a contest
  9. kick — in football
  10. capital — a city
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. land — to come down
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. land — ground
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. shower — to wash
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. race — the arms race
  19. capital — money
  20. charge — a price
  21. land — a country
  22. craft — boats
  23. charge — in control
  24. charge — electricity

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