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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: date · wind · stand · bound · present · race · arm · rock

  1. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. Have you settled on a ________________?
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. present — there
  6. rock — a stone
  7. bound — certain
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. bound — tied together
  10. race — the arms race
  11. date — the fruit
  12. wind — moving air
  13. rock — music
  14. race — a contest
  15. present — a gift
  16. bound — obliged
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. race — humankind
  20. present — the time now
  21. stand — to bear
  22. wind — moving air
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. wind — to turn a key

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