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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: tube · club · cell · arm · rock · wave · dip · calf

  1. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. He was locked up in a ________________.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. rock — music
  5. tube — a container
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. rock — a stone
  8. dip — to sink
  9. cell — a phone
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. club — for dancing
  12. cell — in biology
  13. club — a group
  14. club — for golf
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. cell — in a prison
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. tube — the underground

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