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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: arm · last · hide · mouse · squash · land · racket · bark

  1. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. bark — to shout
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. land — to come down
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. land — a country
  13. squash — the sport
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. land — ground
  16. last — final
  17. squash — to crush
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. last — finally
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. last — to go on
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. hide — to keep secret

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