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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. That must've been a ________________.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. march — the month
  6. last — to go on
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. march — music
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. bank — for money
  12. last — final
  13. march — the month
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. kick — in football
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. bank — of a river
  18. last — finally
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. bear — the animal
  21. rush — hurry
  22. bank — for money
  23. bear — the animal
  24. arm — part of the body

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