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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 120 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. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. mate — a partner
  4. race — humankind
  5. land — ground
  6. race — a contest
  7. rash — a series
  8. land — to come down
  9. land — a country
  10. craft — a skill
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. rash — hasty
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. wake — a trail
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. craft — boats
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. mate — to breed
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. sharp — clever
  23. mate — a friend
  24. calf — of the leg

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