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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
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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: arm · saw · hide · swing · rush · lean · date · snap

  1. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. lean — to bend
  8. saw — the tool
  9. swing — in golf
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. date — the fruit
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. lean — thin
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. saw — the tool
  20. swing — music
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. snap — to click
  23. swing — to play on
  24. rush — hurry

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