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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
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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: wave · march · bulb · leaves · fork · fan · straw · arm

  1. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. bulb — for light
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. bulb — for light
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. fork — in a road
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. march — music
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. march — the month
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. march — the month

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