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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. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. bulb — for light
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. toast — bread
  10. clip — a video
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. race — a contest
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. bulb — for light
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. clip — for paper
  20. clip — to cut
  21. bat — the animal
  22. race — humankind
  23. hand — help
  24. hand — in cards

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