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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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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: hand · chest · rash · bore · suit · pit · arm · race

  1. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. race — humankind
  3. suit — to fit
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. chest — of your body
  6. hand — help
  7. pit — in a race
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. race — the arms race
  10. bore — to tire
  11. chest — a box
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. rash — hasty
  14. rash — a series
  15. chest — of your body
  16. pit — a hole
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. bore — to drill
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. suit — clothes
  21. race — a contest
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. suit — in cards

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