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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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: arm · bank · row · bulb · hand · current · wound · bay

  1. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. wound — an injury
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. bank — of a river
  12. bulb — for light
  13. hand — in cards
  14. bank — for money
  15. hand — help
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. current — of water
  19. wound — an injury
  20. current — electric
  21. bank — for money
  22. row — a line
  23. row — to paddle
  24. bulb — for light

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