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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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468
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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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  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. track — a song
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. spell — magic
  5. track — to keep track
  6. rest — what's left
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. rest — what's left
  11. spell — letters
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. rest — a break
  14. bat — the animal
  15. track — a path
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. spell — a short time
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. bat — in an idiom
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. arm — a part of something

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