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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. David sat on the ________________.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. bark — to shout
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. race — humankind
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. bulb — for light
  12. race — the arms race
  13. rush — hurry
  14. swing — in golf
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. fine — high quality
  19. bulb — for light
  20. race — a contest
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. swing — music
  24. fine — all right

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