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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. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. The water is too ________________.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. scale — size or range
  6. cold — an illness
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. cold — the Cold War
  9. pass — a permit
  10. scale — in music
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. march — the month
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. bass — the fish
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. march — music
  21. cold — not warm
  22. bass — low music
  23. march — the month
  24. pass — to succeed

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