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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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. track — a path
  3. saw — the tool
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. craft — boats
  6. chip — to eat
  7. track — to keep track
  8. race — the arms race
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. track — a song
  11. race — a contest
  12. craft — a skill
  13. lean — to bend
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. band — a music group
  16. band — a ring
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. deal — to handle
  19. chip — for betting
  20. lean — thin
  21. saw — the tool
  22. race — humankind
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. craft — a handicraft

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