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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. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. bat — the animal
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. race — the arms race
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. fall — to drop
  11. fall — to drop
  12. race — a contest
  13. object — to protest
  14. race — humankind
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. wax — to grow
  17. stand — to bear
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. fall — the season
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. object — a thing
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. bat — in an idiom
  24. stand — for spectators

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