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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. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. current — electric
  4. drill — a practice
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. craft — a skill
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. craft — boats
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. kid — child
  12. race — humankind
  13. current — of water
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. drill — army training
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. race — a contest
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. kid — to tease
  22. drill — the tool
  23. current — happening now
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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