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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 had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. wind — moving air
  3. march — music
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. lean — thin
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. drill — army training
  8. drill — the tool
  9. march — the month
  10. cue — a signal
  11. cue — for pool
  12. march — the month
  13. lean — to bend
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. stem — to come from
  17. rest — what's left
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. cue — a hint
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. wind — moving air
  23. rest — a break
  24. rest — what's left

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