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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. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. race — humankind
  3. race — the arms race
  4. spell — a short time
  5. root — of a plant
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. spell — magic
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. lean — thin
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. lean — to bend
  13. dip — to sink
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. ball — a dance
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. ball — a great time
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. date — the fruit
  20. root — the cause
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. race — a contest
  23. root — of a word
  24. spell — letters

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