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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. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. race — the arms race
  4. swing — to play on
  5. craft — boats
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. vault — a safe
  8. swing — music
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. spell — a short time
  11. swing — in golf
  12. race — humankind
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. chest — of your body
  15. current — happening now
  16. spell — magic
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. chest — of your body
  19. race — a contest
  20. chest — a box
  21. foot — a measure
  22. current — electric
  23. craft — a skill
  24. spell — letters

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