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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. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. date — the fruit
  5. fall — to drop
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. stand — to bear
  8. race — a contest
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. cell — in biology
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. race — the arms race
  13. fall — the season
  14. pound — a weight
  15. tube — a container
  16. fall — to drop
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. tube — the underground
  24. cell — a phone

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