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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. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. rest — what's left
  3. race — the arms race
  4. mug — to rob
  5. roll — a cake
  6. rest — a break
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. wind — moving air
  9. craft — boats
  10. mug — a face
  11. wind — moving air
  12. roll — a list
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. land — ground
  15. race — humankind
  16. dip — to sink
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. mug — a cup
  19. land — a country
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. land — to come down
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. rest — what's left
  24. craft — a skill

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