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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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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 · cell · squash · track · wind · straw · roll · foot

  1. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. We're on a ________________ here.
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. wind — moving air
  3. roll — on a roll
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. cell — in biology
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. roll — a list
  10. cell — a phone
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. wind — moving air
  14. track — to keep track
  15. track — a path
  16. squash — the sport
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. foot — a measure
  19. track — a song
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. roll — a cake

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