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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: track · ground · jam · plane · spring · calf · arm · saw

  1. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. ground — the earth
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. ground — crushed
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. spring — of water
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. spring — a coil
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. saw — the tool
  12. track — a path
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. track — a song
  20. spring — the season
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. ground — a position
  23. plane — a tool
  24. track — to keep track

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