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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. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. We're on a ________________ here.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. lean — thin
  3. roll — a cake
  4. cap — of ice
  5. key — the most important part
  6. cap — a lid
  7. can — a tin
  8. can — a tin
  9. key — in music
  10. key — for a lock
  11. rush — hurry
  12. roll — on a roll
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. lean — to bend
  15. race — humankind
  16. race — the arms race
  17. race — a contest
  18. craft — a skill
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. can — to be able to
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. roll — a list
  24. cap — a hat

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