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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 broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  22. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. shower — rain
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. race — the arms race
  5. race — humankind
  6. race — a contest
  7. shower — to wash
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. toast — the most admired
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. can — to be able to
  13. can — a tin
  14. can — a tin
  15. fall — to drop
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. fall — to drop
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. fall — the season
  21. cell — in biology
  22. toast — bread
  23. cell — a phone
  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