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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: straw · pass · mark · track · arm · lie · bat · racket

  1. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. track — to keep track
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. track — a song
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. mark — a grade
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. lie — to recline
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. pass — a permit
  20. mark — a trace
  21. track — a path
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. bat — the animal

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