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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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. craft — boats
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. race — the arms race
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. rash — hasty
  14. current — of water
  15. race — a contest
  16. season — of the year
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. current — electric
  20. craft — a skill
  21. race — humankind
  22. rash — a series
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. current — happening now

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