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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. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. Have you settled on a ________________?
  10. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  11. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. craft — boats
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. foot — a measure
  5. date — the fruit
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. race — the arms race
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. chest — a box
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. lie — to recline
  17. race — a contest
  18. chest — of your body
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. race — humankind
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. chest — of your body
  24. lie — an untruth

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