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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: bowl · staff · prune · hide · arm · roll · land · squash

  1. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. We're on a ________________ here.
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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. squash — the sport
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. staff — employees
  6. staff — employees
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. staff — a stick
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. roll — on a roll
  12. roll — a list
  13. prune — to trim
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. squash — to crush
  17. land — to come down
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. roll — a cake
  22. prune — to trim
  23. land — a country
  24. squash — the vegetable

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