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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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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: arm · lash · race · board · scale · tube · key · clip

  1. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. clip — a video
  7. scale — size or range
  8. key — the most important part
  9. board — to get on
  10. race — the arms race
  11. clip — to cut
  12. board — a committee
  13. race — humankind
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. key — in music
  17. scale — in music
  18. tube — the underground
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. race — a contest
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. tube — a container
  23. clip — for paper
  24. key — for a lock

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