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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. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. The water is too ________________.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. cold — an illness
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. sharp — clever
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. race — the arms race
  8. cold — the Cold War
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. craft — boats
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. race — humankind
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. wound — an injury
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. craft — a skill
  18. cold — not warm
  19. foot — a measure
  20. wound — an injury
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. race — a contest

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