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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. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. wind — moving air
  3. bass — low music
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. bass — the fish
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. key — the most important part
  9. march — music
  10. mark — a grade
  11. key — for a lock
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. march — the month
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. wind — moving air
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. mark — a trace
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. key — in music

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