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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. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. march — the month
  3. clip — for paper
  4. firm — a company
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. suit — in cards
  7. suit — to fit
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. lie — to recline
  10. mug — a cup
  11. march — music
  12. clip — a video
  13. firm — decided
  14. rash — hasty
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. mug — to rob
  17. clip — to cut
  18. march — the month
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. firm — steady
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. suit — clothes
  24. rash — a series

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