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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. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. craft — boats
  3. race — a contest
  4. tear — from crying
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. pop — music
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. race — the arms race
  9. tear — to rip
  10. craft — a skill
  11. cue — for pool
  12. deal — to handle
  13. pop — soda
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. bass — low music
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. cue — a hint
  18. cue — a signal
  19. bass — the fish
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. tear — from crying
  23. pop — to visit
  24. straw — dry grass

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