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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: bank · clip · sharp · mate · rock · ground · arm · hide

  1. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. rock — a stone
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. mate — to breed
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. sharp — clever
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. ground — a position
  9. ground — the earth
  10. mate — a friend
  11. clip — to cut
  12. rock — music
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. bank — for money
  15. clip — a video
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. mate — a partner
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. clip — for paper
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. bank — of a river
  23. bank — for money
  24. ground — crushed

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