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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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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: deal · chest · nail · arm · hide · date · row · pitcher

  1. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. chest — of your body
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. deal — to handle
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. row — to paddle
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. chest — a box
  14. row — a line
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. date — the fruit
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. chest — of your body
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. date — on the calendar

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