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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: track · season · safe · arm · chip · saw · mate · rest

  1. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. mate — a partner
  4. rest — a break
  5. saw — the tool
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. rest — what's left
  8. mate — a friend
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. season — of the year
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. track — a path
  13. chip — to eat
  14. track — a song
  15. track — to keep track
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. season — in sport
  19. saw — the tool
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. rest — what's left
  22. mate — to breed
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. chip — for betting

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