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

  1. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. chest — of your body
  3. kick — in football
  4. race — humankind
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. chest — a box
  7. race — the arms race
  8. race — a contest
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. scale — in music
  16. scale — size or range
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. stand — to bear
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. chair — a leader
  24. chest — of your body

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