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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 ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. rest — what's left
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. march — music
  5. march — the month
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. land — a country
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. land — to come down
  12. rest — what's left
  13. march — the month
  14. bank — for money
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. net — in sport
  17. bank — of a river
  18. land — ground
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. net — after costs
  21. rest — a break
  22. bank — for money
  23. net — for catching
  24. coach — a trainer

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