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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.

Make a worksheet

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: hide · cold · can · plane · march · kick · bound · arm

  1. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  2. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. The water is too ________________.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — an illness
  2. cold — the Cold War
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. can — a tin
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. can — a tin
  9. bound — tied together
  10. march — the month
  11. can — to be able to
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. march — music
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. march — the month
  18. cold — not warm
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. bound — certain
  21. bound — obliged
  22. kick — in football
  23. plane — a tool
  24. arm — a part of something

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