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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. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. chip — to eat
  3. track — a song
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. chip — for betting
  6. firm — decided
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. fall — to drop
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. track — to keep track
  13. firm — a company
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. wake — a trail
  18. fall — to drop
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. firm — steady
  21. cell — a phone
  22. fall — the season
  23. cell — in biology
  24. wake — before a funeral

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