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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. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. march — music
  3. object — a thing
  4. cap — a lid
  5. cap — of ice
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. hand — in cards
  8. object — an aim
  9. present — there
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. row — to paddle
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. suit — to fit
  15. hand — help
  16. suit — clothes
  17. cap — a hat
  18. present — the time now
  19. march — the month
  20. suit — in cards
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. march — the month
  23. row — a line
  24. object — to protest

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