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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. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. rest — a break
  3. rest — what's left
  4. drill — the tool
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. drill — army training
  11. race — a contest
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. drill — a practice
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. bark — to shout
  17. pass — a permit
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. race — humankind
  20. rest — what's left
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. race — the arms race

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