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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. David sat on the ________________.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. swing — to play on
  3. wound — an injury
  4. charge — electricity
  5. race — humankind
  6. land — ground
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. charge — in control
  11. craft — a skill
  12. race — the arms race
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. wound — an injury
  15. race — a contest
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. kick — in football
  18. land — to come down
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. land — a country
  21. charge — a price
  22. swing — music
  23. swing — in golf
  24. craft — boats

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