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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. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. last — finally
  4. race — humankind
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. mug — a face
  7. fall — the season
  8. lean — to bend
  9. race — the arms race
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. lean — thin
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. suit — clothes
  14. mug — a cup
  15. suit — in cards
  16. suit — to fit
  17. fall — to drop
  18. last — final
  19. last — to go on
  20. season — of the year
  21. race — a contest
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. season — in sport
  24. fall — to drop

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