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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. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. race — a contest
  3. key — in music
  4. race — humankind
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. key — the most important part
  8. ball — a great time
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. squash — to crush
  12. squash — the sport
  13. key — for a lock
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. net — in sport
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. net — for catching
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. ball — a dance
  21. net — after costs
  22. branch — a division
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. branch — of a bank

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