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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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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 · rule · bear · sharp · toast · shower · arm · stick

  1. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. bear — the animal
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. rule — a law
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. rule — government
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. bear — the animal
  15. shower — to wash
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. toast — bread
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. sharp — clever
  22. shower — rain
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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