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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.

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: rush · arm · bear · fall · hide · deal · hand · field

  1. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. rush — hurry
  4. fall — the season
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. bear — the animal
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. fall — to drop
  9. field — farmland
  10. deal — to handle
  11. field — a subject
  12. bear — the animal
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. hand — help
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. fall — to drop
  18. field — for sport
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. hand — in cards
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. rush — a thrill

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