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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. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. fine — all right
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. race — a contest
  6. fine — high quality
  7. stem — to come from
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. race — humankind
  10. last — to go on
  11. last — finally
  12. firm — steady
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. firm — a company
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. race — the arms race
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. last — final
  21. firm — decided
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. ruler — a monarch

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