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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: bark · arm · lie · kick · track · fine · ruler · pass

  1. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. track — a path
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. fine — all right
  8. track — a song
  9. track — to keep track
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. fine — high quality
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. lie — to recline
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. kick — in football
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. bark — to shout
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. pass — a permit
  24. arm — part of the 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