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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
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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: race · calf · hand · key · arm · leaves · last · roll

  1. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  23. We're on a ________________ here.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. race — the arms race
  3. key — for a lock
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. hand — in cards
  6. race — humankind
  7. key — the most important part
  8. roll — a list
  9. last — finally
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. hand — help
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. last — final
  15. last — to go on
  16. key — in music
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. race — a contest
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. roll — a cake
  23. roll — on a roll
  24. calf — of the leg

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