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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 hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. pop — soda
  5. lean — thin
  6. root — of a plant
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. root — of a word
  10. root — the cause
  11. wound — an injury
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. pop — to visit
  14. key — for a lock
  15. pop — music
  16. march — music
  17. mark — a grade
  18. key — in music
  19. march — the month
  20. lean — to bend
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. key — the most important part
  23. march — the month
  24. wound — an injury

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