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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: jam · race · arm · stick · patient · hand · lie · key

  1. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. key — in music
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. lie — to recline
  8. hand — in cards
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. race — humankind
  13. key — the most important part
  14. key — for a lock
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. race — the arms race
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. race — a contest
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. hand — help
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. lie — an untruth

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