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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. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. key — for a lock
  3. race — the arms race
  4. race — humankind
  5. craft — boats
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. kid — child
  8. race — a contest
  9. craft — a skill
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. wind — moving air
  12. wind — moving air
  13. dip — to sink
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. drill — the tool
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. kid — to tease
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  19. drill — a practice
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. branch — a division
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. key — in music
  24. key — the most important part

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