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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: rest · wake · swing · arm · wave · safe · chest · bay

  1. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. chest — a box
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. chest — of your body
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. chest — of your body
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. rest — what's left
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. wake — a trail
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. swing — in golf
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. rest — what's left
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. rest — a break
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. swing — to play on
  24. swing — music

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