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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. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. pit — a hole
  3. hand — in cards
  4. hand — help
  5. rest — what's left
  6. saw — the tool
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. rest — what's left
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. rest — a break
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. stand — to bear
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. saw — the tool
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. race — a contest
  22. pit — in a race
  23. fork — in a road
  24. race — humankind

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