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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.

Make a worksheet

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 · march · staff · rock · row · temple · mouse · spring

  1. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. row — a line
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. row — to paddle
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. march — the month
  8. spring — of water
  9. staff — employees
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. staff — employees
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. spring — the season
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. staff — a stick
  18. rock — a stone
  19. march — the month
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. spring — a coil
  22. rock — music
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. march — music

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