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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: wake · jam · roll · arm · hide · deal · net · march

  1. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. deal — to handle
  3. roll — a cake
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. net — in sport
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. march — music
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. net — after costs
  18. wake — a trail
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. march — the month
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. march — the month
  24. roll — a list

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