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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 works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. march — the month
  3. chest — of your body
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. present — there
  10. present — a gift
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. chest — a box
  15. march — the month
  16. present — the time now
  17. lean — to bend
  18. firm — decided
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. chest — of your body
  22. firm — steady
  23. lean — thin
  24. march — 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