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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: arm · scale · race · leaves · sharp · nail · bore · fall

  1. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. scale — in music
  7. bore — to drill
  8. race — the arms race
  9. fall — the season
  10. sharp — clever
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. fall — to drop
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. race — humankind
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. race — a contest
  22. bore — to tire
  23. scale — size or range
  24. fall — to drop

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