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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. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. race — the arms race
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. key — for a lock
  7. clip — to cut
  8. race — a contest
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. pop — soda
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. pop — to visit
  14. clip — a video
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. key — the most important part
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. key — in music
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. race — humankind
  22. stem — to come from
  23. clip — for paper
  24. pop — music

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