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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. row — a line
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. stand — to bear
  8. branch — a division
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. sharp — clever
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. saw — the tool
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. track — a path
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. row — to paddle
  21. track — a song
  22. saw — the tool
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. track — to keep track

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