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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'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. Would you like some apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. land — ground
  3. bank — for money
  4. bank — of a river
  5. land — to come down
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. bank — for money
  8. race — a contest
  9. prune — to trim
  10. fall — the season
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. chair — a leader
  13. fall — to drop
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. land — a country
  16. jam — in traffic
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. race — humankind
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. prune — to trim
  23. fall — to drop
  24. jam — to spread on bread

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