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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. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. spring — a coil
  3. track — to keep track
  4. wound — an injury
  5. track — a path
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. staff — employees
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. ball — a great time
  12. staff — employees
  13. track — a song
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. ball — a dance
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. spring — of water
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. spring — the season
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. staff — a stick

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