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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: firm · race · wake · current · sharp · last · bore · arm

  1. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. last — finally
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. current — happening now
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. race — a contest
  8. race — humankind
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. wake — a trail
  11. bore — to tire
  12. sharp — clever
  13. bore — to drill
  14. current — electric
  15. current — of water
  16. firm — steady
  17. last — final
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. firm — decided
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. last — to go on
  22. firm — a company
  23. sharp — with an edge
  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