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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: snap · arm · chest · march · can · object · suit · wake

  1. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  4. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. suit — to fit
  3. chest — of your body
  4. chest — of your body
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. object — an aim
  8. march — music
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. object — to protest
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. march — the month
  13. chest — a box
  14. can — a tin
  15. object — a thing
  16. march — the month
  17. suit — clothes
  18. suit — in cards
  19. can — to be able to
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. snap — to click
  22. can — a tin
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. arm — a part of something

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