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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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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 · foot · row · hide · craft · shower · rest · rule

  1. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. row — a line
  6. rest — a break
  7. craft — boats
  8. foot — a measure
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. rule — a law
  12. craft — a skill
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. shower — rain
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. shower — to wash
  21. rule — government
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. rest — what's left
  24. row — to paddle

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