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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. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. chest — of your body
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. race — the arms race
  6. chest — of your body
  7. race — a contest
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. bound — tied together
  10. fork — in a road
  11. bound — obliged
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. bound — certain
  15. race — humankind
  16. toast — bread
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. face — to confront
  19. face — part of the head
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. chest — a box
  23. face — to point toward
  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