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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. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. march — the month
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. ball — a dance
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. ball — a great time
  14. mine — for digging
  15. foot — a measure
  16. march — music
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. march — the month
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. fork — in a road
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. temple — a place of worship

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