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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: arm · craft · race · cell · jam · toast

  1. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. craft — boats
  6. craft — a skill
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. toast — a drink to someone
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. race — a contest
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. toast — bread
  13. race — the arms race
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. cell — in biology
  16. cell — a phone
  17. toast — the most admired
  18. race — humankind

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