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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
468
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 · rock · fall · leaves · cue · nail · ground · track

  1. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. ground — crushed
  3. rock — music
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. rock — a stone
  6. fall — the season
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. fall — to drop
  9. cue — a hint
  10. cue — a signal
  11. ground — a position
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. track — a song
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. cue — for pool
  17. track — a path
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. ground — the earth
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. fall — to drop
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. leaves — of a tree

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