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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: wave · arm · dip · kid · saw · wound · mark · band

  1. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. mark — a grade
  5. band — a music group
  6. kid — to tease
  7. kid — child
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. wound — an injury
  10. mark — a trace
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. saw — the tool
  15. wound — an injury
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. dip — to sink
  19. saw — the tool
  20. band — a ring
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. dip — a sauce

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