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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 120 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: rash · track · arm · bay · stand · pitcher · chest · stem

  1. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. track — a path
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. rash — a series
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. stand — to bear
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. chest — of your body
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. chest — a box
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. rash — hasty
  22. track — a song
  23. stem — to come from
  24. chest — of your body

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