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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: mug · fan · race · craft · kick · bear · cabinet · bass

  1. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. kick — in football
  3. bass — low music
  4. mug — a cup
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. bear — the animal
  7. craft — boats
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. craft — a skill
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. race — the arms race
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. mug — a face
  18. bass — the fish
  19. bear — the animal
  20. race — humankind
  21. race — a contest
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. kick — a thrill

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