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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 · sharp · roll · deal · lean · mouse · can · arm

  1. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. We're on a ________________ here.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. roll — a cake
  4. march — music
  5. lean — thin
  6. sharp — clever
  7. lean — to bend
  8. can — to be able to
  9. march — the month
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. roll — on a roll
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. can — a tin
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. roll — a list
  20. march — the month
  21. deal — to handle
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. can — a tin
  24. mouse — the animal

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