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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: cell · race · fall · wave · arm · nail · stick · can

  1. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. fall — to drop
  7. cell — a phone
  8. fall — to drop
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. race — a contest
  13. can — to be able to
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. can — a tin
  18. race — the arms race
  19. race — humankind
  20. cell — in biology
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. can — a tin
  23. cell — in a prison
  24. fall — the season

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