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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's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. stand — to bear
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. race — the arms race
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. fine — high quality
  18. fine — all right
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. race — a contest
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. race — humankind

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