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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: march · fork · ruler · chest · arm · pass · shower · can

  1. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. can — to be able to
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. fork — in a road
  7. pass — a permit
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. shower — to wash
  10. march — the month
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. march — music
  13. chest — of your body
  14. march — the month
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. chest — a box
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. shower — rain
  22. can — a tin
  23. chest — of your body
  24. ruler — for measuring

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