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

Word bank: deal · arm · rock · bear · kid · date · rest · craft

  1. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. craft — a skill
  4. date — the fruit
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. bear — the animal
  10. bear — the animal
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. rest — what's left
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. deal — to handle
  16. kid — child
  17. kid — to tease
  18. rest — a break
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. rock — music
  21. rock — a stone
  22. craft — boats
  23. rest — what's left
  24. date — on the calendar

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