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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 120 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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. rock — a stone
  3. track — to keep track
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. rock — music
  8. drill — army training
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. drill — a practice
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. drill — the tool
  15. wound — an injury
  16. stock — shares
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. track — a path
  23. stock — goods
  24. wound — an injury

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