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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: suit · bear · calf · march · arm · roll · last · mark

  1. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. bear — the animal
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. last — to go on
  5. march — the month
  6. last — final
  7. suit — to fit
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. bear — the animal
  11. roll — a cake
  12. suit — in cards
  13. suit — clothes
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. last — finally
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. mark — a grade
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. roll — a list
  21. march — music
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. march — the month
  24. calf — a young animal

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