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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 120 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. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. stand — to bear
  5. mate — to breed
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. mate — a friend
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. race — the arms race
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. mate — a partner
  15. race — humankind
  16. race — a contest
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. snap — to click
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. pound — a weight
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. arm — part of the body

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