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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. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. march — the month
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. spring — a coil
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. march — music
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. spring — of water
  13. spring — the season
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. fork — in a road
  16. track — a path
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. plane — a tool
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. track — a song
  24. track — to keep track

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