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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 was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. track — a song
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. track — to keep track
  7. stand — to bear
  8. ground — crushed
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. mine — for digging
  12. ground — a position
  13. wake — a trail
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. rule — a law
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. ground — the earth
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. rule — government
  24. track — a path

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