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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 120 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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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: mate · firm · season · lean · wave · fan · arm · scale

  1. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. firm — a company
  3. mate — a friend
  4. firm — steady
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. firm — decided
  7. season — of the year
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. mate — to breed
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. mate — a partner
  14. lean — thin
  15. scale — in music
  16. scale — size or range
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. lean — to bend
  24. season — in sport

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