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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. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. Have you settled on a ________________?
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. race — the arms race
  5. object — to protest
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. ground — a position
  10. date — the fruit
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. race — a contest
  17. object — a thing
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. ground — the earth
  20. field — farmland
  21. field — a subject
  22. object — an aim
  23. field — for sport
  24. ground — crushed

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