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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. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. suit — in cards
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. bass — low music
  10. suit — clothes
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. march — the month
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. suit — to fit
  15. board — a committee
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. mine — for digging
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. board — to get on
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. march — music
  24. bass — the fish

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