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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 120 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: dip · mate · present · arm · race · safe · bat · hide

  1. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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 — humankind
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. mate — a partner
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. mate — a friend
  7. dip — to sink
  8. race — the arms race
  9. race — a contest
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. present — a gift
  12. present — there
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. mate — to breed
  17. bat — the animal
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. present — the time now
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. hide — to keep secret
  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