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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: present · last · arm · nail · hand · perch · cap · bay

  1. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. hand — in cards
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. perch — the fish
  5. cap — of ice
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. hand — help
  10. last — to go on
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. present — a gift
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. cap — a lid
  16. present — there
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. last — finally
  20. cap — a hat
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. present — the time now
  23. last — final
  24. nail — for a hammer

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