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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.

Make a worksheet

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: hide · arm · rule · wind · leaves · wound · bass · can

  1. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. rule — government
  5. can — a tin
  6. rule — a law
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. can — to be able to
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. wind — moving air
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. wound — an injury
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. can — a tin
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. bass — low music
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. wind — moving air
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. bass — the fish
  22. wound — an injury
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. leaves — of a tree

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