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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. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. bore — to tire
  3. tear — from crying
  4. tear — to rip
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. race — a contest
  9. branch — a division
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. chair — a leader
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. bore — to drill
  15. tear — from crying
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. race — humankind
  22. craft — a skill
  23. craft — boats
  24. perch — the fish

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