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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: wake · kick · bound · mouse · stock · track · arm · chest

  1. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. track — a song
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. chest — of your body
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. bound — tied together
  8. track — to keep track
  9. bound — certain
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. stock — shares
  13. stock — goods
  14. chest — a box
  15. track — a path
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. chest — of your body
  18. wake — a trail
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. bound — obliged
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. kick — a thrill

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