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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: cap · rock · bay · arm · stick · squash · race · temple

  1. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. race — humankind
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. rock — a stone
  8. cap — a lid
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. race — the arms race
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. cap — of ice
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. cap — a hat
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. squash — the sport
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. rock — music
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. squash — to crush
  24. temple — a place of worship

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