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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: present · march · stand · mouse · plane · swing · arm · band

  1. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. swing — in golf
  3. swing — to play on
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. march — the month
  7. swing — music
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. plane — a tool
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. present — there
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. band — a music group
  17. stand — to bear
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. present — a gift
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. band — a ring
  23. march — music
  24. present — the time now

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