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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: last · deal · cap · wake · toast · hide · arm · bank

  1. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. cap — a hat
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. deal — to handle
  9. last — final
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. bank — for money
  12. cap — a lid
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. cap — of ice
  16. bank — for money
  17. toast — bread
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. last — to go on
  21. bank — of a river
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. wake — a trail
  24. last — finally

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