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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 · key · calf · pass · arm · hide · cabinet · march

  1. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  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. calf — of the leg
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. key — the most important part
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. face — part of the head
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. march — music
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. key — for a lock
  14. key — in music
  15. face — to point toward
  16. pass — a permit
  17. march — the month
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. march — the month
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. face — to confront
  23. calf — a young animal
  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