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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. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. row — a line
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. race — a contest
  7. firm — decided
  8. chest — of your body
  9. race — humankind
  10. firm — steady
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. chest — of your body
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. bulb — for light
  17. firm — a company
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. chest — a box
  20. row — to paddle
  21. rule — a law
  22. race — the arms race
  23. rule — government
  24. arm — part of the 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