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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. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. kid — to tease
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. squash — the sport
  8. band — a ring
  9. band — a music group
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. race — a contest
  14. kid — child
  15. mark — a trace
  16. mark — a grade
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. squash — to crush
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. race — humankind
  24. stem — to come from

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