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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. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. tear — from crying
  3. race — the arms race
  4. cue — a signal
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. cue — for pool
  7. spring — of water
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. spring — a coil
  11. cue — a hint
  12. bass — the fish
  13. craft — boats
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. tear — to rip
  17. spring — the season
  18. race — a contest
  19. tear — from crying
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. race — humankind
  22. bass — low music
  23. craft — a skill
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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