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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. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. We're on a ________________ here.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a cake
  2. present — there
  3. present — the time now
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. hand — help
  7. roll — a list
  8. present — a gift
  9. snap — to click
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. hand — in cards
  12. roll — on a roll
  13. craft — a skill
  14. drill — a practice
  15. craft — boats
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. drill — army training
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. drill — the tool

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