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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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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: pit · safe · wound · chest · track · arm · object · fork

  1. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. chest — of your body
  5. object — an aim
  6. pit — a hole
  7. fork — in a road
  8. track — a song
  9. chest — of your body
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. track — to keep track
  12. chest — a box
  13. wound — an injury
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. track — a path
  20. wound — an injury
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. pit — in a race
  23. object — a thing
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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