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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. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. rest — a break
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. firm — decided
  6. object — to protest
  7. firm — a company
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. mine — for digging
  10. rest — what's left
  11. wake — a trail
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. track — to keep track
  14. shower — to wash
  15. shower — rain
  16. firm — steady
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. rest — what's left
  20. track — a path
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. object — a thing
  23. object — an aim
  24. mine — an explosive

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