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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. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. mug — to rob
  3. mine — for digging
  4. rest — a break
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. march — music
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. track — a path
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. mug — a cup
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. rest — what's left
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. rest — what's left
  15. saw — the tool
  16. saw — the tool
  17. march — the month
  18. track — a song
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. march — the month
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. mug — a face
  24. arm — part of the body

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