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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. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. mate — a friend
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. press — to push
  9. press — a publisher
  10. press — newspapers
  11. mate — to breed
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. march — the month
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. march — music
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. dip — to sink
  18. mate — a partner
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. ball — a dance
  24. ball — a great time

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