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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: hide · stem · net · kick · court · arm · bear · bass

  1. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. net — in sport
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. bear — the animal
  5. bass — the fish
  6. net — for catching
  7. stem — to come from
  8. court — for sport
  9. kick — in football
  10. bear — the animal
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. court — of a king
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. net — after costs
  18. court — of law
  19. bass — low music
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. kick — with a leg

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