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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 116 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. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. bear — the animal
  3. wake — a trail
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. race — the arms race
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. press — to push
  10. bear — the animal
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. rush — hurry
  13. race — humankind
  14. press — newspapers
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. bound — certain
  17. race — a contest
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. press — a publisher
  21. bound — tied together
  22. bound — obliged
  23. craft — a skill
  24. pound — a weight

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