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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: arm · fall · scale · season · bound · wave · row · club

  1. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. row — a line
  3. club — for golf
  4. bound — tied together
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. fall — to drop
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. scale — size or range
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. bound — certain
  11. club — a group
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. club — for dancing
  14. scale — in music
  15. fall — the season
  16. season — of the year
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. fall — to drop
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. bound — obliged
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. season — in sport
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. row — to paddle

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