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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: rock · spring · mark · present · hide · arm · drill · mate

  1. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. mark — a trace
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. drill — a practice
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. spring — a coil
  7. mate — to breed
  8. rock — a stone
  9. mate — a friend
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. spring — the season
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. drill — the tool
  14. rock — music
  15. spring — of water
  16. mate — a partner
  17. mark — a grade
  18. present — there
  19. drill — army training
  20. present — the time now
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. mark — to pay attention

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