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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. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. fine — all right
  4. object — a thing
  5. race — a contest
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. fine — high quality
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. object — an aim
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. object — to protest
  13. wax — to grow
  14. craft — boats
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. race — humankind
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. rest — a break
  19. vault — a safe
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. craft — a skill
  23. rest — what's left
  24. race — the arms race

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