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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: lie · arm · file · sharp · wind · coach · track · rock

  1. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. rock — a stone
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. wind — moving air
  7. file — a document
  8. rock — music
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. wind — moving air
  13. track — to keep track
  14. file — a line of people
  15. track — a path
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. lie — to recline
  20. sharp — clever
  21. track — a song
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. file — a tool

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