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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: safe · arm · stand · track · bark · temple · content · cue

  1. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. track — to keep track
  4. track — a song
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. stand — to bear
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. content — happy
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. cue — a hint
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. bark — to shout
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. cue — for pool
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. cue — a signal
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. content — the amount

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