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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: stand · club · wave · saw · kid · arm · temple · fine

  1. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. saw — the tool
  3. club — for dancing
  4. saw — the tool
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. kid — to tease
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. club — for golf
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. fine — all right
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. kid — child
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. stand — to bear
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. fine — high quality
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. temple — a place of worship

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