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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: content · drill · march · leaves · mouse · chair · arm · lash

  1. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. march — the month
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. content — the amount
  9. drill — a practice
  10. drill — army training
  11. march — music
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. content — happy
  15. drill — the tool
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. chair — a leader
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. chair — a professorship

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