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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: foot · mate · chair · bore · race · racket · arm · wound

  1. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. wound — an injury
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. chair — a leader
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. bore — to tire
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. mate — to breed
  10. bore — to drill
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. race — the arms race
  13. foot — a measure
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. race — a contest
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. race — humankind
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. mate — a friend
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. mate — a partner

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