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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. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. march — the month
  3. rush — hurry
  4. staff — employees
  5. drill — army training
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. march — music
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. march — the month
  12. staff — employees
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. tube — the underground
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. staff — a stick
  17. tube — a container
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. drill — a practice
  22. bark — to shout
  23. drill — the tool
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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