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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.

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: game · craft · fan · race · lash · rush · mine · cabinet

  1. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. craft — a skill
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. race — a contest
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. mine — for digging
  8. game — a match
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. race — the arms race
  12. game — wild animals
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. craft — boats
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. race — humankind
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. fan — a supporter

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