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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. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. key — in music
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. last — finally
  5. race — the arms race
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. content — the amount
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. race — humankind
  11. tube — the underground
  12. rest — what's left
  13. key — for a lock
  14. key — the most important part
  15. race — a contest
  16. tube — a container
  17. row — a line
  18. rest — a break
  19. last — final
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. last — to go on
  23. content — happy
  24. rest — what's left

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