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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. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. saw — the tool
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. race — humankind
  5. craft — a skill
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. bear — the animal
  9. saw — the tool
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. craft — boats
  18. race — a contest
  19. bear — the animal
  20. mine — for digging
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. bear — to put up with

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