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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: rash · track · fan · arm · net · saw · ruler · mate

  1. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. mate — to breed
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. rash — a series
  6. net — for catching
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. track — to keep track
  9. saw — the tool
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. net — after costs
  12. rash — hasty
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. saw — the tool
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. mate — a partner
  17. mate — a friend
  18. track — a path
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. net — in sport

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