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

Word bank: kid · current · sharp · cap · race · leaves · craft · rest

  1. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. rest — what's left
  3. race — the arms race
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. race — a contest
  7. race — humankind
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. rest — what's left
  10. sharp — clever
  11. current — electric
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. current — happening now
  14. cap — a hat
  15. craft — a skill
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. craft — boats
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. kid — child
  20. kid — to tease
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. cap — a lid
  23. rest — a break
  24. current — of water

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