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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. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. race — a contest
  4. rule — government
  5. rule — a law
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. hand — help
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. pitch — completely
  12. race — the arms race
  13. hand — in cards
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. race — humankind
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. rush — hurry
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. pitch — a sports field

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