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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 120 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: bay · chip · arm · plane · race · mug · wound · last

  1. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. plane — a tool
  4. last — to go on
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. wound — an injury
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. mug — a face
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. chip — to eat
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. race — a contest
  14. wound — an injury
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. race — the arms race
  19. mug — a cup
  20. last — final
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. race — humankind
  23. mug — to rob
  24. chip — for betting

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