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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 has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. race — a contest
  3. charge — a price
  4. wake — a trail
  5. cap — a hat
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. craft — boats
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. cap — a lid
  13. charge — in control
  14. craft — a skill
  15. dip — to sink
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. race — the arms race
  18. race — humankind
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. kick — in football
  21. cap — of ice
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. charge — electricity

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