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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.

Words on the sheet
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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. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. game — a match
  3. cell — a phone
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. spell — letters
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. plane — a tool
  9. game — wild animals
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. race — the arms race
  12. spell — magic
  13. race — a contest
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. wind — moving air
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. cell — in biology
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. wind — moving air
  24. spell — a short time

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