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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: fine · straw · hand · race · prune · saw · arm · face

  1. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. race — humankind
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. face — to point toward
  5. race — a contest
  6. prune — to trim
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. face — to confront
  9. hand — help
  10. hand — in cards
  11. prune — to trim
  12. fine — high quality
  13. fine — all right
  14. saw — the tool
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. saw — the tool
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. face — part of the head

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