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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. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. wind — moving air
  3. can — a tin
  4. lean — to bend
  5. wind — moving air
  6. plane — a tool
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. can — to be able to
  9. can — a tin
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. content — the amount
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. race — the arms race
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. race — a contest
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. content — happy
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. lean — thin
  24. arm — a part of something

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