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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: land · toast · arm · march · rash · pit · wound · saw

  1. When are we going to ________________?
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. march — the month
  5. land — a country
  6. march — the month
  7. toast — a drink to someone
  8. rash — a series
  9. wound — an injury
  10. saw — the tool
  11. saw — the tool
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. toast — bread
  15. march — music
  16. pit — in a race
  17. wound — an injury
  18. land — ground
  19. pit — a hole
  20. rash — hasty
  21. toast — the most admired
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. arm — a part of something

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