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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. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. deal — to handle
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. staff — employees
  6. band — a music group
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. last — final
  11. staff — a stick
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. staff — employees
  14. band — a ring
  15. last — finally
  16. degree — temperature
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. degree — from a university
  19. degree — an amount
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. last — to go on
  24. deal — a big deal

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