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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: racket · board · wave · saw · arm · mouse · row · date

  1. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. Have you settled on a ________________?
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. saw — the tool
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. row — to paddle
  6. board — a committee
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. saw — the tool
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. date — the fruit
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. board — to get on
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. row — a line
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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