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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. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  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. rash — on the skin
  2. race — the arms race
  3. race — humankind
  4. land — a country
  5. cell — in biology
  6. bound — obliged
  7. face — to confront
  8. face — to point toward
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. rash — hasty
  11. current — electric
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. land — to come down
  14. current — of water
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. land — ground
  17. current — happening now
  18. bound — tied together
  19. race — a contest
  20. face — part of the head
  21. cell — a phone
  22. bound — certain
  23. rash — a series
  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