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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.

Make a worksheet

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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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: board · wave · mine · rash · roll · arm

  1. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. rash — hasty
  6. mine — for digging
  7. board — to get on
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. board — a committee
  10. roll — a list
  11. rash — a series
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. roll — a cake
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. wave — with your hand

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