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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. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. march — music
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. shower — to wash
  5. shower — rain
  6. lean — to bend
  7. season — of the year
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. march — the month
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. key — in music
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. lean — thin
  18. prune — to trim
  19. season — in sport
  20. prune — to trim
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. march — the month
  23. key — the most important part
  24. prune — the fruit

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