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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. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. mug — to rob
  5. bore — to tire
  6. race — humankind
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. race — a contest
  11. wind — moving air
  12. board — a committee
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. mug — a cup
  15. bore — to drill
  16. wind — moving air
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. race — the arms race
  19. lean — to bend
  20. board — to get on
  21. lean — thin
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. mug — a face
  24. pitch — completely

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