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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: rest · march · arm · board · ball · wound · snap · leaves

  1. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. march — the month
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. rest — a break
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. board — to get on
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. rest — what's left
  11. wound — an injury
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. board — a committee
  14. march — music
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. ball — a dance
  18. march — the month
  19. snap — to click
  20. ball — a great time
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. rest — what's left
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. board — a flat piece

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