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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 father caught me by the ________________.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. hand — in cards
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. track — a song
  6. mate — to breed
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. wake — a trail
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. mate — a friend
  14. track — a path
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. fork — in a road
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. track — to keep track
  20. mate — a partner
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. hand — help

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