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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. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. row — a line
  5. bass — the fish
  6. cell — in biology
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. lean — to bend
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. cell — a phone
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. row — to paddle
  16. lean — thin
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. bass — low music
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. vault — a safe
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. nail — for a hammer

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