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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: squash · arm · mine · wake · present · bear · row · chip

  1. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. wake — a trail
  3. chip — for betting
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. present — there
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. row — a line
  8. squash — to crush
  9. chip — to eat
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. present — the time now
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. present — a gift
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. bear — the animal
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. squash — the sport
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. bear — the animal
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. mine — for digging
  23. row — to paddle
  24. mine — belonging to me

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