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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: lie · march · bass · object · craft · present · arm · lash

  1. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. present — a gift
  4. craft — boats
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. march — music
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. object — to protest
  9. present — the time now
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. bass — low music
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. bass — the fish
  15. present — there
  16. lie — to recline
  17. object — a thing
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. object — an aim
  21. march — the month
  22. craft — a skill
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. march — the month

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