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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: march · face · coach · wave · scale · arm · sharp · ruler

  1. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. march — music
  3. scale — size or range
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. face — part of the head
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. scale — in music
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. face — to confront
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. sharp — clever
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. march — the month
  23. march — the month
  24. arm — part of the body

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