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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: straw · mark · dip · hide · arm · shower · sharp · tube

  1. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. tube — a container
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. mark — a grade
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. dip — to sink
  15. shower — rain
  16. sharp — clever
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. shower — to wash
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. mark — a trace
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. tube — the underground

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