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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: rock · hide · bear · saw · arm · date

  1. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  15. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. Have you settled on a ________________?
  18. 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. arm — part of the body
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. saw — the tool
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. bear — the animal
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. rock — a stone
  11. saw — the tool
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. bear — the animal
  14. date — the fruit
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. rock — music
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. 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