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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: cell · lie · key · race · ground · arm · fork · safe

  1. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. He was locked up in a ________________.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  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. race — the arms race
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. race — a contest
  4. ground — the earth
  5. lie — to recline
  6. fork — in a road
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. ground — a position
  9. key — in music
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. cell — in biology
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. ground — crushed
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. cell — a phone
  18. key — for a lock
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. race — humankind
  21. cell — in a prison
  22. key — the most important part
  23. safe — a strongbox
  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