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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: bat · chest · arm · fall · season · spell · track · dip

  1. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  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. track — to keep track
  2. chest — a box
  3. spell — letters
  4. spell — magic
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. season — in sport
  7. spell — a short time
  8. season — of the year
  9. dip — to sink
  10. fall — to drop
  11. bat — the animal
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. track — a path
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. chest — of your body
  17. fall — to drop
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. chest — of your body
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. track — a song
  23. fall — the season
  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