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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 sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. bark — to shout
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. toast — a drink to someone
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. jam — in traffic
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. staff — employees
  15. row — a line
  16. staff — a stick
  17. race — a contest
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. row — to paddle
  20. staff — employees
  21. race — the arms race
  22. toast — bread
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. jam — a tight spot

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