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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. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. lean — to bend
  3. march — music
  4. wound — an injury
  5. wound — an injury
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. race — a contest
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. lean — thin
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. mark — a trace
  18. race — humankind
  19. season — in sport
  20. mark — a grade
  21. march — the month
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. season — of the year
  24. march — the month

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