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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.

Words on the sheet
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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 · swing · bark · mouse · arm · temple · file · plane

  1. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. swing — music
  6. march — the month
  7. file — a line of people
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. file — a tool
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. bark — to shout
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. file — a document
  16. march — the month
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. march — music
  20. swing — to play on
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. plane — a tool

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