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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. march — the month
  4. kid — child
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. march — music
  10. bark — to shout
  11. kid — to tease
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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