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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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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: wake · pop · ruler · kid · stick · chip · wave · arm

  1. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. chip — for betting
  5. pop — music
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. pop — soda
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. kid — child
  15. wake — a trail
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. kid — to tease
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. pop — to visit
  22. chip — to eat
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. ruler — for measuring

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