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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: sharp · mine · foot · pound · trunk · chair · march · hide

  1. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. march — the month
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. march — the month
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. foot — a measure
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. mine — for digging
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. chair — a leader
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. pound — a weight
  23. sharp — clever
  24. chair — a professorship

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