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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. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. fall — the season
  3. mine — for digging
  4. mate — a friend
  5. object — an aim
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. object — a thing
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. track — a song
  11. mate — to breed
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. fall — to drop
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. mate — a partner
  16. fall — to drop
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. present — a gift
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. object — to protest
  21. present — there
  22. present — the time now
  23. track — a path
  24. mine — belonging to me

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