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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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. prune — to trim
  3. race — the arms race
  4. prune — to trim
  5. can — a tin
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. craft — boats
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. race — a contest
  13. can — a tin
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. can — to be able to
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. craft — a skill
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. race — humankind
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. craft — a handicraft

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