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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. We're on a ________________ here.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. chest — of your body
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. bank — for money
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. rock — a stone
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. craft — a skill
  11. chest — of your body
  12. mark — a grade
  13. bank — for money
  14. roll — on a roll
  15. mark — a trace
  16. roll — a cake
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. roll — a list
  21. bank — of a river
  22. chest — a box
  23. craft — boats
  24. arm — a part of something

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