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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. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. march — music
  4. bark — to shout
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. mark — a trace
  10. rock — a stone
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. row — a line
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. march — the month
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. march — the month
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. row — to paddle
  22. rock — music
  23. mark — a grade
  24. mark — to pay attention

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