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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. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. lean — to bend
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. lean — thin
  8. race — the arms race
  9. deal — to handle
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. foot — a measure
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. craft — a skill
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. mine — for digging
  20. race — humankind
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. craft — boats
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. race — a contest

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