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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. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. We're on a ________________ here.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. roll — on a roll
  6. craft — a skill
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. race — a contest
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. roll — a cake
  11. craft — boats
  12. kid — to tease
  13. roll — a list
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. toast — bread
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. sharp — clever
  18. race — the arms race
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. vault — a safe
  21. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  22. kid — child
  23. race — humankind
  24. sharp — exactly

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