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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: clip · prune · craft · hand · bay · arm · hide · rash

  1. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. hand — in cards
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. clip — for paper
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. clip — a video
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. prune — to trim
  11. rash — a series
  12. rash — hasty
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. craft — a skill
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. hand — help
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. clip — to cut
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. prune — to trim
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. craft — boats

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