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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: row · chest · lash · cue · season · present · foot · march

  1. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. present — there
  3. present — a gift
  4. chest — a box
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. chest — of your body
  8. cue — a hint
  9. march — the month
  10. cue — for pool
  11. season — in sport
  12. march — the month
  13. present — the time now
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. row — to paddle
  17. season — of the year
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. foot — a measure
  20. march — music
  21. row — a line
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. cue — a signal

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