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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. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. race — humankind
  4. toast — bread
  5. mine — for digging
  6. race — a contest
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. toast — a drink to someone
  11. squash — the sport
  12. race — the arms race
  13. vault — a safe
  14. firm — steady
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. firm — decided
  17. firm — a company
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. squash — to crush
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. coach — a trainer

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