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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: arm · face · bark · nail · cabinet · track · cue · cell

  1. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. cue — a hint
  6. track — to keep track
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. face — to point toward
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. track — a song
  14. cue — a signal
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. cell — in biology
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. bark — to shout
  19. cell — a phone
  20. face — to confront
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. face — part of the head
  23. cue — for pool
  24. arm — part of the body

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