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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: mug · rash · mark · march · swing · arm · chest · bay

  1. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. rash — hasty
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. mark — a trace
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. swing — music
  7. rash — a series
  8. mug — a cup
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. march — music
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. chest — of your body
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. mark — a grade
  17. swing — to play on
  18. swing — in golf
  19. march — the month
  20. chest — of your body
  21. mug — to rob
  22. mug — a face
  23. chest — a box
  24. arm — part of the body

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