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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 120 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.

Make a worksheet

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: pit · mate · spring · march · arm · key · season · leaves

  1. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. march — music
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. mate — a partner
  7. season — of the year
  8. season — in sport
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. march — the month
  11. spring — the season
  12. pit — in a race
  13. key — in music
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. mate — to breed
  16. key — the most important part
  17. key — for a lock
  18. march — the month
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. spring — of water
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. mate — a friend
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. pit — a hole

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