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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: hide · arm · fine · march · toast · last · kick · craft

  1. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  24. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. march — the month
  3. last — final
  4. fine — all right
  5. craft — a skill
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. fine — high quality
  9. march — music
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. last — finally
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. craft — boats
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. toast — bread
  17. last — to go on
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. march — the month
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  24. toast — the most admired

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