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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: arm · jam · saw · hide · charge · rest · season · bat

  1. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. rest — a break
  5. bat — the animal
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. charge — in control
  9. rest — what's left
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. rest — what's left
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. saw — the tool
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. season — of the year
  17. season — in sport
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. charge — a price
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. charge — electricity
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. jam — in traffic
  24. hide — animal skin

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