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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. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. object — a thing
  3. can — to be able to
  4. land — to come down
  5. race — the arms race
  6. lie — to recline
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. land — ground
  10. race — a contest
  11. season — in sport
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. object — an aim
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. can — a tin
  18. can — a tin
  19. race — humankind
  20. object — to protest
  21. land — a country
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. season — of the year
  24. lie — an untruth

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