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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. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. race — humankind
  3. bound — obliged
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. race — the arms race
  6. race — a contest
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. bound — certain
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. drill — the tool
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. drill — a practice
  15. stem — to come from
  16. charge — a price
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. charge — electricity
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. bound — tied together
  21. drill — army training
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. charge — in control
  24. stem — of a plant

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