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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: leaves · arm · hand · bound · sharp · face · scale · hide

  1. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. sharp — clever
  3. bound — certain
  4. bound — tied together
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. face — to point toward
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. scale — in music
  10. hand — in cards
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. face — to confront
  14. bound — obliged
  15. hand — help
  16. face — part of the head
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. scale — size or range

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