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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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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: arm · rock · saw · bear · chest · stick · hide · face

  1. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. chest — of your body
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. saw — the tool
  6. chest — a box
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. face — to confront
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. face — part of the head
  13. chest — of your body
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. face — to point toward
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. bear — the animal
  19. rock — music
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. rock — a stone
  24. bear — the animal

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