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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
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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: rash · plane · board · hide · date · toast · arm · bear

  1. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  14. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. Have you settled on a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. bear — the animal
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. date — the fruit
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. plane — a tool
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. toast — bread
  14. toast — a drink to someone
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. board — a committee
  18. rash — a series
  19. rash — hasty
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. bear — the animal
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. plane — in geometry
  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