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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. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  16. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. race — the arms race
  3. can — to be able to
  4. tear — from crying
  5. can — a tin
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. last — to go on
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. race — a contest
  10. chest — of your body
  11. chest — a box
  12. roll — a list
  13. last — finally
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. roll — a cake
  16. tear — to rip
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. last — final
  19. tear — from crying
  20. stand — to bear
  21. race — humankind
  22. chest — of your body
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. can — a tin

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