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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. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. chest — of your body
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. craft — boats
  6. squash — the sport
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. face — part of the head
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. fine — all right
  11. track — a path
  12. face — to confront
  13. face — to point toward
  14. fine — high quality
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. squash — to crush
  18. craft — a skill
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. chest — of your body
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. chest — a box
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. track — a song

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