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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. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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 path
  3. mate — a friend
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. plane — a tool
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. track — to keep track
  8. mate — a partner
  9. mate — to breed
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. pound — a weight
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. net — for catching
  16. track — a song
  17. net — in sport
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. net — after costs
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. lie — to recline

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