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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. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. bound — tied together
  4. fall — the season
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. track — to keep track
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. mine — for digging
  9. bound — obliged
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. wound — an injury
  12. foot — a measure
  13. wound — an injury
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. fall — to drop
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. track — a path
  20. track — a song
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. fall — to drop
  24. bound — certain

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