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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. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. cap — a lid
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. track — a song
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. cap — a hat
  10. cap — of ice
  11. row — a line
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. squash — the sport
  15. row — to paddle
  16. squash — to crush
  17. track — a path
  18. arm — a part of something

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