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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
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: wake · bear · hide · arm · wave · land · rock · ground

  1. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. ground — crushed
  4. wake — a trail
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. land — to come down
  8. bear — the animal
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. bear — the animal
  11. rock — a stone
  12. ground — the earth
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. ground — a position
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. land — a country
  23. rock — music
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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