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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. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  15. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. We're on a ________________ here.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. Have you settled on a ________________?
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. track — a song
  3. track — a path
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. last — to go on
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. drill — a practice
  9. cue — a hint
  10. track — to keep track
  11. date — the fruit
  12. drill — army training
  13. roll — a list
  14. roll — a cake
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. drill — the tool
  17. cue — a signal
  18. cue — for pool
  19. last — final
  20. last — finally
  21. roll — on a roll
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. safe — a strongbox

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