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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. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  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. present — a gift
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. march — music
  4. march — the month
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. suit — to fit
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. cell — a phone
  10. present — the time now
  11. suit — clothes
  12. suit — in cards
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. sharp — clever
  15. cell — in biology
  16. key — for a lock
  17. present — there
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. march — the month
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. key — the most important part
  23. cell — in a prison
  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