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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. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. march — music
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. bass — the fish
  8. lie — to recline
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. prune — to trim
  15. march — the month
  16. spring — of water
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. spring — a coil
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. march — the month
  23. bass — low music
  24. prune — to trim

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