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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. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. fall — to drop
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. rest — a break
  7. net — after costs
  8. spell — letters
  9. net — for catching
  10. race — a contest
  11. race — humankind
  12. club — for golf
  13. net — in sport
  14. rest — what's left
  15. club — a group
  16. fall — the season
  17. club — for dancing
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. spell — magic
  20. content — happy
  21. content — the amount
  22. spell — a short time
  23. rest — what's left
  24. fall — to drop

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