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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: row · squash · kid · staff · stick · land · arm · bay

  1. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. squash — to crush
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. land — to come down
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. land — a country
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. row — to paddle
  12. staff — a stick
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. kid — to tease
  15. staff — employees
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. kid — child
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. land — ground
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. squash — the sport
  23. staff — employees
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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