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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 · pitcher · face · pop · stand · wave · leaves · arm

  1. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. face — to confront
  3. march — the month
  4. pop — soda
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. face — to point toward
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. march — music
  10. pop — music
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. face — part of the head
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. pop — to visit
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. march — the month
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. stand — to bear

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