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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: hide · wound · rash · arm · mate · bound · rock · bear

  1. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. mate — a partner
  3. bound — obliged
  4. wound — an injury
  5. bound — certain
  6. bound — tied together
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. bear — the animal
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. rock — music
  15. rash — a series
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. rash — hasty
  18. wound — an injury
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. bear — the animal
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. rock — a stone
  23. mate — to breed
  24. mate — a friend

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