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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. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. march — the month
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. bound — certain
  8. bound — tied together
  9. degree — from a university
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. bound — obliged
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. march — the month
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. degree — temperature
  18. season — in sport
  19. degree — an amount
  20. season — of the year
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. march — music
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. straw — dry grass

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