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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. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  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. rash — hasty
  2. cap — a hat
  3. race — humankind
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. spell — a short time
  7. race — the arms race
  8. cap — of ice
  9. last — to go on
  10. craft — boats
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. spell — magic
  14. spell — letters
  15. cap — a lid
  16. last — finally
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. rash — a series
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. last — final
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. craft — a skill
  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