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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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. mine — for digging
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. track — a song
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. mark — a grade
  10. mark — a trace
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. ball — a great time
  14. rash — hasty
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. track — a path
  17. ball — a dance
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. rash — a series
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. track — to keep track
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. safe — out of danger

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