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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. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. craft — boats
  3. track — to keep track
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. track — a song
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. field — farmland
  8. rule — a law
  9. current — happening now
  10. craft — a skill
  11. track — a path
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. current — of water
  14. rule — government
  15. field — for sport
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. current — electric
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. field — a subject
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. craft — a handicraft

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