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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 116 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. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. The water is too ________________.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. fall — the season
  3. cold — not warm
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. race — the arms race
  7. bulb — for light
  8. bore — to tire
  9. bore — to drill
  10. cold — the Cold War
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. cold — an illness
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. race — a contest
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. bulb — for light
  17. craft — a skill
  18. fall — to drop
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. fall — to drop
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. race — humankind
  23. rush — hurry
  24. bore — gave birth

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