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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. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a cake
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. mate — to breed
  4. march — music
  5. lean — thin
  6. march — the month
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. mate — a partner
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. march — the month
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. lean — to bend
  16. mate — a friend
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. fine — all right
  19. can — to be able to
  20. can — a tin
  21. fine — high quality
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. roll — a list
  24. can — a tin

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