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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: court · wave · file · hide · craft · wind · board · arm

  1. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. wind — to turn a key
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. court — for sport
  12. craft — a skill
  13. file — a line of people
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. wind — moving air
  16. craft — boats
  17. court — of law
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. file — a tool
  20. court — of a king
  21. board — to get on
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. wind — moving air
  24. board — a committee

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