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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: last · saw · arm · court · rest · stand · straw · march

  1. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. court — of a king
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. saw — the tool
  6. last — finally
  7. march — the month
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. last — final
  10. court — of law
  11. march — music
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. rest — what's left
  15. stand — to bear
  16. rest — what's left
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. last — to go on
  20. court — for sport
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. saw — the tool
  23. rest — a break
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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