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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. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. mug — to rob
  3. perch — the fish
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. craft — a skill
  8. craft — boats
  9. mug — a cup
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. march — the month
  14. rule — government
  15. fine — all right
  16. fine — high quality
  17. rush — hurry
  18. mug — a face
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. rule — a law
  22. march — music
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. march — the month

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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