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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: bear · stick · race · cabinet · arm · lie · bank · nail

  1. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. bear — the animal
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. lie — to recline
  5. bank — for money
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. bear — the animal
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. race — a contest
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. bank — of a river
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. race — humankind
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. bank — for money
  23. race — the arms race
  24. nail — on a finger

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