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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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. track — to keep track
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. mug — a cup
  8. track — a path
  9. mug — a face
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. bound — obliged
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. scale — size or range
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. scale — in music
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. bound — tied together
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. bound — certain
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. mug — to rob
  24. arm — a part of something

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