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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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468
Word bank
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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. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. present — the time now
  4. file — a line of people
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. track — a song
  7. foot — a measure
  8. track — a path
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. file — a document
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. present — there
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. kid — to tease
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. present — a gift
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. file — a tool
  23. kid — child
  24. foot — the bottom

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