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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. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. row — a line
  6. row — to paddle
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. wound — an injury
  10. key — for a lock
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. wound — an injury
  14. roll — a cake
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. march — the month
  17. march — the month
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. key — in music
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. march — music
  24. key — the most important part

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