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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: key · march · spell · sharp · rest · arm · stem · rush

  1. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. key — in music
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. rush — hurry
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. march — the month
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. key — the most important part
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. rest — what's left
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. spell — magic
  14. rest — a break
  15. march — the month
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. stem — to come from
  18. spell — a short time
  19. spell — letters
  20. rest — what's left
  21. key — for a lock
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. march — music
  24. sharp — exactly

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