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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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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: last · arm · can · mark · bat · rock · row · present

  1. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. can — a tin
  3. present — there
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. mark — a trace
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. row — a line
  11. rock — music
  12. can — a tin
  13. last — final
  14. mark — a grade
  15. last — finally
  16. rock — a stone
  17. row — to paddle
  18. bat — the animal
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. present — a gift
  21. last — to go on
  22. can — to be able to
  23. present — the time now
  24. rock — to move gently

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