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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: coach · spell · squash · track · arm · content · plane · bulb

  1. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. plane — a tool
  4. content — the amount
  5. track — a path
  6. spell — a short time
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. track — a song
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. content — happy
  11. bulb — for light
  12. bulb — for light
  13. squash — to crush
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. spell — magic
  16. track — to keep track
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. squash — the sport
  22. spell — letters
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. arm — a part of something

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