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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: arm · shower · wake · hide · ball · safe · stock · rest

  1. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. shower — to wash
  5. rest — what's left
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. wake — a trail
  9. stock — goods
  10. rest — a break
  11. shower — rain
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. rest — what's left
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. stock — shares
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. ball — a dance
  23. ball — a great time
  24. arm — part of the body

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