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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 120 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
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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: hide · present · bound · ball · cabinet · arm · hand · fall

  1. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. 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. hide — to keep secret
  2. fall — to drop
  3. fall — to drop
  4. ball — a great time
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. hand — help
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. hand — in cards
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. present — a gift
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. fall — the season
  13. ball — a dance
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. bound — obliged
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. present — there
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. bound — certain
  21. present — the time now
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. bound — tied together
  24. 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