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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. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. race — humankind
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. rush — hurry
  6. race — the arms race
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. pit — in a race
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. rest — a break
  14. race — a contest
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. rest — what's left
  19. rest — what's left
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. pit — a hole
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. mouse — the animal

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