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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. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. pop — to visit
  5. snap — to click
  6. rush — hurry
  7. craft — a skill
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. race — humankind
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. pop — music
  14. race — a contest
  15. race — the arms race
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. pop — soda
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. craft — boats
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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