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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: arm · deal · degree · rock · nail · bear · bark · bay

  1. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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. bear — the animal
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. rock — music
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. degree — temperature
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. deal — to handle
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. bark — to shout
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. degree — an amount
  18. degree — from a university
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. rock — a stone
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. bear — the animal

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