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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: arm · track · object · wake · squash · hand · racket · chest

  1. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  9. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  10. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. wake — a trail
  3. squash — to crush
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. track — a song
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. chest — of your body
  9. chest — a box
  10. chest — of your body
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. object — an aim
  15. track — a path
  16. object — a thing
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. track — to keep track
  19. object — to protest
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. squash — the sport
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. hand — help
  24. hand — in cards

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