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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: kick · ball · race · can · tear · arm

  1. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. race — a contest
  3. can — a tin
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. ball — a great time
  7. race — humankind
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. ball — a dance
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. tear — to rip
  12. can — a tin
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. tear — from crying
  16. tear — from crying
  17. kick — in football
  18. can — to be able to

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