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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: arm · fan · staff · ground · drill · wake · mug · track

  1. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. ground — the earth
  3. staff — a stick
  4. ground — a position
  5. staff — employees
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. staff — employees
  8. mug — to rob
  9. track — a path
  10. drill — army training
  11. track — a song
  12. mug — a cup
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. drill — the tool
  16. track — to keep track
  17. ground — crushed
  18. drill — a practice
  19. mug — a face
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. wake — a trail
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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