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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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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: bound · calf · can · hand · cold · arm · rest · bay

  1. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. The water is too ________________.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. rest — a break
  3. bound — tied together
  4. cold — an illness
  5. rest — what's left
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. bound — obliged
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. hand — in cards
  10. can — a tin
  11. cold — the Cold War
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. can — to be able to
  17. rest — what's left
  18. hand — help
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. cold — not warm
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. bound — certain

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