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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.

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 · bark · present · roll · coach · arm · lash · leaves

  1. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  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. coach — a trainer
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. roll — a list
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. roll — a cake
  13. present — the time now
  14. bark — to shout
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. march — the month
  18. present — a gift
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. march — the month
  21. present — there
  22. march — music
  23. leaves — to go away
  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