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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. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. fork — in a road
  3. kid — to tease
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. race — humankind
  8. fine — all right
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. craft — boats
  11. kid — child
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. race — the arms race
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. deal — to handle
  16. lean — to bend
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. race — a contest
  19. fine — high quality
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. lean — thin
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. deal — a big deal

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