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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's very handy with a ________________.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  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. saw — the tool
  2. race — humankind
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. chest — of your body
  6. race — a contest
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. chest — a box
  10. saw — the tool
  11. land — a country
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. suit — to fit
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. race — the arms race
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. land — to come down
  18. suit — clothes
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. suit — in cards
  21. land — ground
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. chest — of your body
  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