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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. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. pit — a hole
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. bear — the animal
  8. can — a tin
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. wake — a trail
  12. kick — in football
  13. race — a contest
  14. can — to be able to
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. can — a tin
  19. race — humankind
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. bear — the animal
  23. pit — in a race
  24. arm — a part of something

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