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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. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. march — the month
  3. march — music
  4. snap — to click
  5. rock — a stone
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. fine — all right
  9. cap — a hat
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. bound — obliged
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. bound — tied together
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. cap — a lid
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. bound — certain
  20. fine — high quality
  21. cap — of ice
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. march — the month
  24. rock — music

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