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

  1. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. track — to keep track
  4. saw — the tool
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. hand — help
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. race — humankind
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. hand — in cards
  15. track — a path
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. race — the arms race
  19. saw — the tool
  20. bear — the animal
  21. bear — the animal
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. race — a contest
  24. track — a song

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