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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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: can · arm · race · key · row · suit · chest · season

  1. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. chest — of your body
  3. race — a contest
  4. suit — clothes
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. can — a tin
  7. suit — in cards
  8. row — a line
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. chest — a box
  12. key — in music
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. race — the arms race
  15. season — in sport
  16. can — a tin
  17. row — to paddle
  18. suit — to fit
  19. season — of the year
  20. race — humankind
  21. key — for a lock
  22. key — the most important part
  23. chest — of your body
  24. arm — a part of something

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