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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 120 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. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. key — for a lock
  5. rock — a stone
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. race — a contest
  8. face — part of the head
  9. pop — music
  10. pop — to visit
  11. sharp — clever
  12. face — to point toward
  13. race — the arms race
  14. pop — soda
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. stand — to bear
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. key — in music
  19. race — humankind
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. rock — music
  23. face — to confront
  24. key — the most important part

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