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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: face · perch · bore · race · jam · bound · march · arm

  1. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. march — music
  3. march — the month
  4. race — humankind
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. face — to confront
  8. bound — tied together
  9. march — the month
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. race — the arms race
  12. bore — to drill
  13. perch — the fish
  14. bound — obliged
  15. race — a contest
  16. face — part of the head
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. bore — to tire
  19. face — to point toward
  20. bound — certain
  21. jam — to spread on bread
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. perch — for a bird

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