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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: arm · race · bowl · mine · craft · cabinet · object · chest

  1. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. race — the arms race
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. chest — a box
  5. chest — of your body
  6. craft — boats
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. craft — a skill
  10. race — a contest
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. object — to protest
  14. object — a thing
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. mine — for digging
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. chest — of your body
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. object — an aim

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