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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: wake · deal · bulb · firm · sharp · rest · hide · arm

  1. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. firm — steady
  3. firm — a company
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. bulb — for light
  10. wake — a trail
  11. sharp — clever
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. rest — what's left
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. rest — what's left
  17. firm — decided
  18. bulb — for light
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. rest — a break
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. deal — to handle

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