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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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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. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. current — happening now
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. march — the month
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. march — music
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. march — the month
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. current — electric
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. current — of water
  18. arm — part of the body

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