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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. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. wind — moving air
  3. season — in sport
  4. race — the arms race
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. race — a contest
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. tube — the underground
  9. season — of the year
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. pass — a permit
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. tube — a container
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. wind — moving air
  18. lean — to bend
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. race — humankind
  22. wake — a trail
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. lean — thin

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