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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 sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. race — the arms race
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. spring — of water
  5. bark — to shout
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. present — the time now
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. spring — the season
  10. present — there
  11. present — a gift
  12. chair — a leader
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. race — humankind
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. race — a contest
  18. spring — a coil
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. pass — a permit
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. safe — out of danger

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