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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. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. race — humankind
  3. race — a contest
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. pitch — completely
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. row — a line
  14. race — the arms race
  15. pass — a permit
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. wound — an injury
  18. foot — a measure
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. row — to paddle
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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