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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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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: rock · roll · lash · field · arm · fine · hide · pound

  1. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. We're on a ________________ here.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. field — a subject
  4. fine — all right
  5. field — for sport
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. pound — a weight
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. roll — a list
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. rock — music
  14. roll — on a roll
  15. fine — high quality
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. field — farmland
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. rock — a stone
  20. roll — a cake
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. lash — to lash out

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