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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. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. race — humankind
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. pass — a permit
  10. stem — to come from
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. bear — the animal
  15. snap — to click
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. race — a contest
  19. bear — the animal
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. capital — a city
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. capital — money
  24. pass — to succeed

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