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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. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. race — the arms race
  5. hand — in cards
  6. face — to point toward
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. tear — to rip
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. race — a contest
  12. race — humankind
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. fork — in a road
  17. face — to confront
  18. hand — help
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. pit — in a race
  21. pit — a hole
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. face — part of the head
  24. tear — from crying

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