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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 120 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: hand · arm · sharp · ruler · bark · saw · bear · dip

  1. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. hand — help
  3. dip — to sink
  4. saw — the tool
  5. sharp — clever
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. saw — the tool
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. bark — to shout
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. hand — in cards
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. bear — the animal
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. bear — the animal

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