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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: saw · march · arm · land · craft · mug · wake · board

  1. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. mug — a face
  3. march — music
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. board — a committee
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. land — to come down
  8. saw — the tool
  9. mug — a cup
  10. wake — a trail
  11. march — the month
  12. land — ground
  13. craft — boats
  14. land — a country
  15. march — the month
  16. craft — a skill
  17. board — to get on
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. mug — to rob
  23. saw — the tool
  24. wake — before a funeral

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