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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. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  22. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. race — a contest
  5. craft — a skill
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. race — the arms race
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. cap — a hat
  11. race — humankind
  12. cap — of ice
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. craft — boats
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. cell — in biology
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. cap — a lid
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. jam — to spread on bread
  22. toast — bread
  23. cell — in a prison
  24. cell — a phone

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