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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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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 · bore · bay · present · arm · kid · fall · bass

  1. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. track — to keep track
  3. bass — the fish
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. fall — to drop
  7. bore — to drill
  8. kid — to tease
  9. bass — low music
  10. present — a gift
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. fall — to drop
  15. kid — child
  16. track — a song
  17. present — the time now
  18. fall — the season
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. track — a path
  22. bore — to tire
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. present — there

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