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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. We're on a ________________ here.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — on a roll
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. roll — a list
  5. spell — letters
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. spell — a short time
  8. face — to point toward
  9. craft — boats
  10. face — part of the head
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. race — humankind
  14. degree — temperature
  15. craft — a skill
  16. spell — magic
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. degree — an amount
  19. race — the arms race
  20. race — a contest
  21. degree — from a university
  22. face — to confront
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. roll — a cake

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