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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. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. firm — steady
  3. kid — child
  4. firm — a company
  5. march — music
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. firm — decided
  11. prune — to trim
  12. charge — a price
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. prune — to trim
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. charge — electricity
  19. march — the month
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. kid — to tease
  22. charge — in control
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. wave — with your hand

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