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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. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. last — finally
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. craft — a skill
  6. ball — a dance
  7. race — humankind
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. race — a contest
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. last — to go on
  16. squash — the sport
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. race — the arms race
  19. squash — to crush
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. ball — a great time
  22. craft — boats
  23. last — final
  24. hide — to keep secret

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