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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. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. staff — employees
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. race — the arms race
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. fall — the season
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. last — to go on
  10. rock — a stone
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. staff — employees
  13. scale — in music
  14. fall — to drop
  15. last — final
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. fall — to drop
  20. rock — music
  21. race — a contest
  22. last — finally
  23. scale — size or range
  24. staff — a stick

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