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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: saw · stick · pound · wave · bulb · arm · chair · bank

  1. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. chair — a leader
  3. bulb — for light
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. bank — of a river
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. pound — a weight
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. saw — the tool
  11. bank — for money
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. saw — the tool
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. bank — for money
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. bulb — for light
  24. arm — part of the body

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