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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. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. Have you settled on a ________________?
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. race — a contest
  4. spring — a coil
  5. spring — of water
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. lie — to recline
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. race — humankind
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. race — the arms race
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. rash — a series
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. date — the fruit
  21. bark — to shout
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. rash — hasty
  24. spring — the season

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