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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: race · arm · trunk · roll · march · leaves · pitcher · wound

  1. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. We're on a ________________ here.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. race — the arms race
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. march — the month
  6. march — music
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. race — a contest
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. wound — an injury
  13. race — humankind
  14. roll — a cake
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. wound — an injury
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. march — the month
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. roll — on a roll
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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