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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.

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 · last · wound · racket · can · field · mine · wave

  1. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  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. wound — an injury
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. last — to go on
  4. field — farmland
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. can — a tin
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. last — final
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. can — a tin
  13. field — a subject
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. wound — an injury
  19. last — finally
  20. can — to be able to
  21. field — for sport
  22. mine — for digging
  23. wave — with your hand
  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