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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. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. We're on a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. cap — a hat
  3. cap — a lid
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. rash — hasty
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. roll — a list
  12. rash — a series
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. bank — for money
  15. cap — of ice
  16. bank — for money
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. roll — a cake
  19. bank — of a river
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. race — humankind
  22. race — a contest
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. roll — on a roll

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