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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.

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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: lash · chest · press · arm · wound · track · content · nail

  1. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. chest — a box
  3. track — a song
  4. press — newspapers
  5. chest — of your body
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. wound — an injury
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. chest — of your body
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. press — a publisher
  15. content — the amount
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. track — to keep track
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. wound — an injury
  21. content — happy
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. press — to push

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