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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 · firm · nail · race · season · fall · pitcher · lie

  1. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. fall — to drop
  7. firm — a company
  8. firm — steady
  9. fall — to drop
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. race — humankind
  14. firm — decided
  15. fall — the season
  16. season — of the year
  17. lie — to recline
  18. race — the arms race
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. race — a contest

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