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

Word bank: cell · wave · bay · arm · firm · racket

  1. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. cell — in biology
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. firm — steady
  8. cell — a phone
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. firm — a company
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. firm — decided
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. bay — a horse colour

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