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

  1. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  22. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. game — a match
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. cap — a hat
  7. clip — a video
  8. bear — the animal
  9. fine — all right
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. bear — the animal
  12. fine — high quality
  13. bank — for money
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. bank — for money
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. cap — of ice
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. cap — a lid
  20. game — wild animals
  21. clip — for paper
  22. clip — to cut
  23. bank — of a river
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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