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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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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: pitcher · wound · wave · clip · ruler · arm · field · bay

  1. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. field — a subject
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. wound — an injury
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. field — for sport
  16. clip — to cut
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. clip — a video
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. clip — for paper
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. wound — an injury
  24. field — farmland

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