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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. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. swing — to play on
  4. perch — the fish
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. last — to go on
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. swing — music
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. last — finally
  18. race — a contest
  19. swing — in golf
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. race — humankind
  23. last — final
  24. arm — part of the body

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