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

Word bank: lash · pit · shower · season · arm · march · bank · chair

  1. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. march — the month
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. march — the month
  7. chair — a leader
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. shower — to wash
  12. bank — for money
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. bank — of a river
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. pit — a hole
  17. bank — for money
  18. march — music
  19. season — in sport
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. pit — in a race
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. shower — rain

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