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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: hide · snap · cabinet · rest · firm · wound · arm · pit

  1. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. firm — a company
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. firm — steady
  8. pit — in a race
  9. firm — decided
  10. snap — to click
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. rest — what's left
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. rest — a break
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. wound — an injury
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. wound — an injury
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. pit — a hole

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