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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. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. swing — music
  3. mug — to rob
  4. prune — to trim
  5. march — the month
  6. mate — a friend
  7. fine — all right
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. mug — a cup
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. prune — to trim
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. mate — a partner
  15. mate — to breed
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. fine — high quality
  18. mug — a face
  19. swing — in golf
  20. march — the month
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. swing — to play on
  23. march — music
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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