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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. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. march — music
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. row — a line
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. plane — a tool
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. march — the month
  9. row — to paddle
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. court — of law
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. mate — a friend
  14. mate — to breed
  15. mate — a partner
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. saw — the tool
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. court — of a king
  20. saw — the tool
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. court — for sport
  23. march — the month
  24. plane — an aircraft

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