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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: leaves · arm · net · cell · lie · race · foot · cap

  1. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. race — a contest
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. cell — in biology
  5. cap — a lid
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. net — for catching
  9. cap — of ice
  10. net — in sport
  11. foot — a measure
  12. net — after costs
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. cap — a hat
  15. race — humankind
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. cell — a phone
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. lie — to recline

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