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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. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. present — a gift
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. pass — a permit
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. clip — a video
  12. present — the time now
  13. march — the month
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. present — there
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. rush — hurry
  21. stand — to bear
  22. clip — for paper
  23. clip — to cut
  24. march — 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