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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. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. charge — electricity
  3. charge — a price
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. race — the arms race
  6. last — finally
  7. bound — certain
  8. bound — obliged
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. last — final
  13. mate — to breed
  14. bulb — for light
  15. bulb — for light
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. mate — a partner
  18. mate — a friend
  19. race — a contest
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. charge — in control
  22. last — to go on
  23. race — humankind
  24. bound — tied together

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