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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: suit · sharp · chest · race · leaves · saw · stick · wound

  1. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. suit — in cards
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. wound — an injury
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. saw — the tool
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. chest — of your body
  13. suit — clothes
  14. race — humankind
  15. chest — a box
  16. race — a contest
  17. sharp — clever
  18. wound — an injury
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. saw — the tool
  21. chest — of your body
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. suit — to fit
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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