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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. We're on a ________________ here.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — on a roll
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. march — music
  7. hand — in cards
  8. hand — help
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. rush — hurry
  11. march — the month
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. rock — music
  14. roll — a list
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. roll — a cake
  17. rock — a stone
  18. sharp — clever
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. march — the month
  24. rock — to move gently

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