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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 120 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: lie · land · arm · march · rule · rush · coach · bark

  1. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. land — a country
  3. bark — to shout
  4. lie — to recline
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. march — the month
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. march — the month
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. rule — government
  14. rush — hurry
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. march — music
  18. rule — a law
  19. land — to come down
  20. land — ground
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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