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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. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. lie — to recline
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. cap — of ice
  9. cap — a lid
  10. toast — the most admired
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. stock — shares
  14. race — humankind
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. cell — a phone
  17. tube — the underground
  18. cap — a hat
  19. race — a contest
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. stock — goods
  22. cell — in biology
  23. tube — a container
  24. toast — bread

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