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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 · mine · nail · saw · cap · wave · present · ground

  1. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. saw — the tool
  3. present — there
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. cap — a hat
  9. saw — the tool
  10. mine — for digging
  11. ground — the earth
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. ground — a position
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. present — the time now
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. cap — of ice
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. ground — crushed
  22. cap — a lid
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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