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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. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. pass — a permit
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. race — a contest
  6. charge — electricity
  7. prune — to trim
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. charge — a price
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. race — humankind
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. prune — to trim
  24. charge — in control

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