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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. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. cap — of ice
  3. present — a gift
  4. present — there
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. dip — to sink
  7. track — a song
  8. wound — an injury
  9. bank — for money
  10. track — to keep track
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. cap — a lid
  15. content — the amount
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. bank — for money
  18. wound — an injury
  19. bank — of a river
  20. content — happy
  21. present — the time now
  22. track — a path
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. cap — a hat

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