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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. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. race — the arms race
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. stand — to bear
  7. snap — to click
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. race — a contest
  11. fine — all right
  12. race — humankind
  13. wound — an injury
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. fine — high quality
  17. craft — a skill
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. wound — an injury
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. craft — boats
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. craft — a handicraft

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