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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. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. track — to keep track
  3. cap — a hat
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. season — of the year
  7. season — in sport
  8. cap — of ice
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. branch — a division
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. cap — a lid
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. track — a song
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. track — a path
  24. bark — to shout

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