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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: clip · rock · pitcher · arm · race · safe · charge · last

  1. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  16. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. race — a contest
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. last — to go on
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. clip — to cut
  9. rock — a stone
  10. race — the arms race
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. last — final
  14. rock — music
  15. clip — for paper
  16. clip — a video
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. charge — electricity
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. charge — a price
  21. race — humankind
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. charge — in control
  24. pitcher — a jug

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