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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. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. vault — a safe
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. mate — a friend
  5. bass — low music
  6. staff — employees
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. wound — an injury
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. wound — an injury
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. track — a path
  15. track — a song
  16. staff — employees
  17. staff — a stick
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. bass — the fish
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. mate — a partner
  24. mate — to breed

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