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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. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. club — for dancing
  3. bear — the animal
  4. craft — a skill
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. craft — boats
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. club — for golf
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. wind — moving air
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. kick — in football
  14. chip — for betting
  15. chip — to eat
  16. race — a contest
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. club — a group
  19. race — humankind
  20. bear — the animal
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. rush — hurry
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. race — the arms race

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