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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. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. 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. arm — part of the body
  2. game — wild animals
  3. key — in music
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. branch — a division
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. game — a match
  10. toast — bread
  11. track — to keep track
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. track — a path
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. dip — to sink
  17. toast — the most admired
  18. key — the most important part
  19. toast — a drink to someone
  20. track — a song
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. key — for a lock
  24. arm — a part of something

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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