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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. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. craft — boats
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. present — the time now
  6. rest — a break
  7. last — to go on
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. spring — a coil
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. last — final
  12. spring — the season
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. present — there
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. rest — what's left
  17. spring — of water
  18. rest — what's left
  19. lie — to recline
  20. craft — a skill
  21. last — finally
  22. race — the arms race
  23. present — a gift
  24. race — humankind

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