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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: hand · bear · mate · staff · last · game · rock · arm

  1. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. hand — help
  3. game — wild animals
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. staff — employees
  8. game — a match
  9. last — final
  10. rock — music
  11. mate — a friend
  12. last — to go on
  13. mate — a partner
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. mate — to breed
  17. staff — employees
  18. bear — the animal
  19. staff — a stick
  20. hand — in cards
  21. bear — the animal
  22. last — finally
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. bear — to put up with

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