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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. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. last — finally
  3. club — for dancing
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. last — to go on
  7. race — humankind
  8. pass — a permit
  9. lean — thin
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. club — for golf
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. race — a contest
  17. last — final
  18. toast — bread
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. foot — a measure
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. race — the arms race
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. club — a group

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