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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. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  21. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. craft — a skill
  5. chest — a box
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. race — the arms race
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. drill — the tool
  10. drill — a practice
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. rush — hurry
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. race — humankind
  15. pitch — completely
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. craft — boats
  18. race — a contest
  19. drill — army training
  20. chest — of your body
  21. chest — of your body
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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