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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. wound — an injury
  3. wound — an injury
  4. track — a song
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. spring — the season
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. net — after costs
  12. spring — of water
  13. track — to keep track
  14. track — a path
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. net — in sport
  17. net — for catching
  18. spring — a coil

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