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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. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. The water is too ________________.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. saw — the tool
  3. key — in music
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. club — for dancing
  6. key — for a lock
  7. saw — the tool
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. race — the arms race
  10. can — a tin
  11. club — a group
  12. club — for golf
  13. can — to be able to
  14. cold — the Cold War
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. cold — not warm
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. cold — an illness
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. can — a tin
  22. race — humankind
  23. key — the most important part
  24. arm — a part of something

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