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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 120 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. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. kick — in football
  3. ball — a great time
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. race — the arms race
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. mark — a trace
  9. race — a contest
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. ball — a dance
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. bore — to drill
  17. mark — a grade
  18. race — humankind
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. bore — to tire
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. content — happy
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. content — the amount

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