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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: arm · lean · can · fan · present · race · temple · club

  1. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. present — there
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. present — a gift
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. club — a group
  8. club — for dancing
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. club — for golf
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. race — a contest
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. can — a tin
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. race — humankind
  17. present — the time now
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. can — to be able to
  21. lean — to bend
  22. race — the arms race
  23. can — a tin
  24. lean — to rest against

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