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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 120 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: hand · race · stock · bay · hide · leaves · arm · key

  1. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. hand — in cards
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. key — for a lock
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. stock — goods
  10. key — the most important part
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. stock — shares
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. key — in music
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. hand — help
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. race — a contest
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. race — the arms race
  23. race — humankind
  24. leaves — lets stay

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