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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: pass · arm · wake · fan · kick · key · race · scale

  1. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. race — humankind
  4. key — in music
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. scale — in music
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. key — for a lock
  15. pass — a permit
  16. wake — a trail
  17. key — the most important part
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. kick — in football
  22. race — a contest
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. scale — size or range

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