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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: deal · sharp · present · staff · hide · arm · tube · perch

  1. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. present — a gift
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. deal — to handle
  8. sharp — clever
  9. tube — a container
  10. staff — employees
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. staff — a stick
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. perch — the fish
  19. tube — the underground
  20. present — there
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. staff — employees
  23. present — the time now
  24. hide — to keep secret

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