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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: spring · bulb · kid · roll · craft · hide · tear · arm

  1. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. We're on a ________________ here.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. tear — from crying
  3. kid — child
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. bulb — for light
  7. spring — of water
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. bulb — for light
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. spring — a coil
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. craft — boats
  14. craft — a skill
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. roll — a cake
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. tear — from crying
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. spring — the season
  21. kid — to tease
  22. roll — on a roll
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. tear — to rip

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