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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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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: bank · plane · hide · rock · season · bound · last · arm

  1. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. plane — a tool
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. bound — certain
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. season — in sport
  7. bank — for money
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. last — final
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. rock — a stone
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. season — of the year
  15. bound — obliged
  16. bound — tied together
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. bank — for money
  19. last — finally
  20. last — to go on
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. rock — music
  23. bank — of a river
  24. season — to add flavour

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