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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. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. race — the arms race
  4. mine — for digging
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. rest — what's left
  7. rest — a break
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. track — a path
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. snap — to click
  15. track — a song
  16. race — humankind
  17. race — a contest
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. track — to keep track
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. racket — for tennis

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