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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  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. race — a contest
  2. kick — in football
  3. mine — for digging
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. rest — a break
  7. board — to get on
  8. rest — what's left
  9. race — humankind
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. content — the amount
  13. race — the arms race
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. board — a committee
  16. rest — what's left
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. content — happy
  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