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

  1. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. key — for a lock
  4. fall — to drop
  5. key — the most important part
  6. fall — the season
  7. charge — a price
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. march — the month
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. saw — the tool
  13. race — the arms race
  14. race — humankind
  15. saw — the tool
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. march — music
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. charge — in control
  20. key — in music
  21. charge — electricity
  22. fall — to drop
  23. march — the month
  24. race — a contest

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