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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: arm · hand · mug · march · mate · staff · track · leaves

  1. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. march — the month
  3. track — a path
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. mug — a cup
  6. hand — in cards
  7. staff — employees
  8. march — the month
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. hand — help
  12. mate — to breed
  13. march — music
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. mate — a friend
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. track — to keep track
  18. mate — a partner
  19. mug — a face
  20. staff — a stick
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. mug — to rob
  23. track — a song
  24. staff — employees

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