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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. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. track — a song
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. present — the time now
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. fall — the season
  7. present — there
  8. track — a path
  9. fall — to drop
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. fall — to drop
  15. row — a line
  16. row — to paddle
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. present — a gift
  21. track — to keep track
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. bark — to shout
  24. wake — a trail

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