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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 116 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. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. spring — of water
  3. race — a contest
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. rock — a stone
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. file — a line of people
  8. file — a tool
  9. chip — to eat
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. wake — a trail
  12. file — a document
  13. bulb — for light
  14. rock — music
  15. spring — a coil
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. craft — boats
  19. chip — for betting
  20. bulb — for light
  21. race — the arms race
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. craft — a skill
  24. spring — the season

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