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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.

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: ball · bound · hide · bear · arm · fan · track · season

  1. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  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. hide — to keep secret
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. track — to keep track
  4. ball — a dance
  5. bound — certain
  6. bound — tied together
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. bear — the animal
  11. bear — the animal
  12. season — of the year
  13. ball — a great time
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. track — a path
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. track — a song
  20. season — in sport
  21. bound — obliged
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. hide — animal skin
  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