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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 116 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. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. court — for sport
  5. bark — to shout
  6. capital — a city
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. key — for a lock
  9. race — humankind
  10. race — a contest
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. court — of law
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. capital — money
  16. court — of a king
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. key — in music
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. key — the most important part
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. sharp — clever

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