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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 sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. can — a tin
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. march — music
  5. lean — to bend
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. spell — letters
  8. last — finally
  9. lean — thin
  10. spell — magic
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. march — the month
  14. can — a tin
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. march — the month
  19. can — to be able to
  20. pass — a permit
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. last — to go on
  23. spell — a short time
  24. last — final

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