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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. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. race — the arms race
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. race — humankind
  9. bulb — for light
  10. season — of the year
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. fork — in a road
  14. bulb — for light
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. sharp — clever
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. hand — in cards
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. season — in sport
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. hand — help
  24. race — a contest

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